A well-known road safety activist, known as ‘Cycling Mikey’, told a jury a theatrical agent deliberately drove his Range Rover into him at a traffic junction, which has gained international notoriety.
'CyclingMikey': Michael Van Erp
Michael Van Erp, 50, uploads clips to his YouTube channel of motoring offences and has reported ex-boxer Chris Eubank; movie director Guy Ritchie and footballer Frank Lampard.
Paul Jerome Lyon-Maris, 60, was driving his grey two-litre Range Rover Velar on the wrong aside of the road in Outer Circle, Regent’s park when Van Erp blocked his path, while filming.
“Somebody in America called me ‘BikeGandalf’ as in ‘You Shall Not Pass’ from Lord of the Rings. I tweeted it and everyone started calling it Gandalf Corner,” Van Erp told the trial.
Lyon-Maris, of Wychcombe Studios, England Lane, Hampstead has pleaded not guilty to one count of driving dangerously on September 9, last year and assaulting professional carer Mr Van Erp.
Southwark Crown Court heard Van Erp reported a total of 358 motoring incidents to the police in 2019, with an 80% conviction rate.
Lyon-Maris, who ironically has represented actor Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Oscar-winner Colin Firth was rushing to a physio appointment at 8.25am.
He claims Van Erp deliberately jumped onto the bonnet of his vehicle and was carried for approximately twenty yards around a right-hand corner after he admittedly ignored a ‘Keep Left’ arrow.
The jury were played video the Dutch professional carer recorded on his GoPro camera in which he is heard shouting: “Why are you driving into me?”
He was cross-examined by Michael Epstein, defending, who asked: “This is what you do isn’t it? If cars don’t adhere to what you want them to do, this is your fall back position isn’t it?
“You have a default position of getting onto bonnets of vehicles and claiming they have driven into you.
“You have taken it upon yourself to police the roads haven’t you? You monitor the roads.”
Van Erp replied: “I am stopping the immediate danger these drivers pose to other roads users.”
He had two cameras with him and was positioned in a central pedestrian island. “I stepped off at risk to myself,” he told the court.
Dismissing the suggestion he deliberately threw himself onto the agent’s vehicle, Van Erp said: “That’s a typical thing a driver might say. ‘He threw himself on my bonnet.’
“I have not gone onto the bonnet of his car. He has driven into me.
“I did not have the impression this was a real emergency. I have never had a real emergency at that junction.
“This did not feel like a real emergency. It felt like impatience.”
The jury were played Van Erp’s video recording of the incident, but the complainant himself rarely viewed it. “I felt it very distressing,” he said and after watching it before giving evidence he added: “I was left panting.”
Mr Epstein suggested the video proved Van Erp’s real motive to achieve online “notoriety”. “I suggest that was a conscious move on your part to get on the bonnet of his vehicle.
“That was a pre-determined choreographed action to grab and hold onto that bonnet.”
Van Erp denied his actions were deliberate. “He specifically drove into me twice. Mr Lyon-Maris drove right up to me and hit me.
“You are trying to suggest I am the antagonist here.”
“I am,” replied the defence lawyer.
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| Paul Lyon-Maris (L) & lawyer Michael Epstein (R) |
“My interpretation was that he was horrified someone would block him there.
“There seems to be a bit of a culture war between drivers and cyclists in this country. cyclists are even hated and as a Dutchman I don’t think the British general public know how bad it is out there.”
The video of the confrontation was earlier played to the jury. Lyon-Maris can be heard shouting: “I’ve got an appointment at half past eight. Get out of the way!”
Prosecutor Mr James Dean told the trial: “On the day in question the defendant was driving south down the Outer Circle and there was a line of traffic going back one hundred yards, caused by traffic lights at Marylebone Road.
“At the junction there is a traffic island, which is quite wide and as you approach there is a ‘keep left’ arrow.
“Mr Van Erp was standing at that island as he had on previous occasions and had a head strap carrying a GoPro camera and had a selfie stick , which had a camera on the end off it.
“He was there to see if anyone was going to avoid that traffic island to execute a right hand turn .
“He is a cyclist and he and other cyclists say they are inconvenienced or endangered by illegal manoeuvres there.
“He saw the Range Rover coming towards him, coming out of the line of traffic and stepped out accordingly, determined to stop him.
“The driver, who had one male passenger, stopped and immediately began to remonstrate in a very agitated manner, which you will see on the video, shouting and telling him to get out of the way because he had an urgent doctor’s appointment.”
The prosecutor told the jury Lyon-Maris moved his Range Rover forward, causing Van Erp, who moved to the UK in 1998, to fall onto the bonnet.
“The driver continues to move forward at a walking pace and carried Mr Van Erp, who fell over the bonnet again and continued to drive on the wrong side of the road and stopped twenty yards later with Mr Van Erp still on the bonnet.”
The jury were played Van Erp’s video and he could be heard dismissing Lyon-Maris’s claim to be late for a medical appointment. “I don’t care, you’re a liar. Call 999,” he said.
“I’m calling the police, you hit me,” continued Van Erp. “You cannot be driving on me. Don’t touch me or I will smack you. Your driving is outrageous.
“Do not drive off. If you drive off that’s leaving the scene of an accident.”
A female eye-witness claimed it was the second time that morning Van Erp deliberately jumped onto car bonnets, but the cyclist objected: “I didn’t launch myself onto the bonnet. Don’t tell lies.”
Mr Dean said: “He did not fall or throw himself onto the bonnet.”
Lyon-Maris was recorded telling police at the scene: “He threw himself onto my bonnet and he would not get off. I am late for an appointment because the road is closed.”
He admitted ignoring the ‘Keep Left’ sign and was later fined for that motoring offence, telling police: “I’m so sorry. He jumped onto my bonnet.”
The police officer knew Van Erp and told him: “I’ve watched your videos. I know what you do.”
Van Erp told police: “Growing up in Zimbabwe my tolerance for risk is quite high.”
Lyon-Maris told the officers: “I apologise for ruining your morning,” insisting he was not concerned by Van Erp’s video recording. “He would have recorded me trying to avoid him.”
Mr Dean suggested Lyon-Maris simply lost his temper that busy morning.
“He could have gone back and then gone back into the queue of cars and he may have found that humiliating in front of the other queue of cars.
“He was late for a physiotherapy appointment and perhaps felt entitled to break the law.”
Trial continues……………
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