A cyclist was jailed for 18 months today after he killed a motorist who opened his car door in front of him. Tony Magdi, 52, died three weeks after being assaulted outside his greengrocer's shop in Hove, East Sussex, on November 7 last year.
Paul Lambeth, 36, was originally charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm, but this was changed to manslaughter following Mr Magdi's death at Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre in Haywards Heath on November 28.
Sentencing him at Hove Crown Court, Judge Michael Lawson QC said he had given Lambeth credit for pleading guilty at the first available opportunity.
But he added that the fact that he did not give himself up straight away - and only did so after he had already been identified as a suspect and police were looking for him - was a strong aggravating factor.
Outlining the circumstances of the case, prosecutor Amy Packham said Lambeth had been cycling with two friends, James Jones and Michael Wilson, eastbound along Portland Road towards central Hove at around midday when the incident happened.
The three men were cycling in a line with Mr Jones in front when they approached Mr Magdi's Jaguar which had just pulled up and parked.
Mr Magdi then opened his door before the cyclists had passed.
'The door struck a passing cyclist. There was a collision between the cyclist and the door,' Miss Packham said.
'This cyclist was not the defendant, it was his friend Mr James Jones, and they collided, causing Mr Jones to lose control of his bike and fall on to the road.'
Miss Packham said the collision forced Lambeth and Mr Wilson to brake and swerve, while a fourth passing cyclist, Anthony Randles, fell off his bike.
The court heard that, although all four cyclists were initially angry with Mr Magdi - with Lambeth hurling insults at the apologetic driver - 'the immediate confrontation and anger had passed'.
Miss Packham continued: 'It was at this point that the defendant suddenly punched Mr Magdi without provocation' and he fell hard on to the pavement.'
The prosecutor said Mr Jones then shouted at Lambeth, asking him why he had landed the punch, to which he replied: 'I'm not wearing it.'
Lambeth then mounted his bike and cycled away with Mr Wilson.
Mr Jones and Mr Randles tried to assist Mr Magdi by putting him in the recovery position, but when it became clear that he was unconscious and unresponsive, Mr Jones too panicked and fled the scene.
A passing doctor came to Mr Magdi's aid and he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton by ambulance.
However, a CT scan showed he had significant bleeding on his brain and he was transferred to Hurstwood Park where he died three weeks later.
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