Man cleared over mountain bike race spectator death

A man has been cleared of failing as a marshal to take reasonable care for the safety of spectators after a woman died at a downhill mountain bike race.

The charge followed the death of a 29-year-old woman who the prosecution said had been struck by a mountain biker’s crash helmet when he flew off his bike.

The tragedy during a mountain bike downhill race near Llangollen, in North Wales, was “entirely avoidable,” the prosecution have alleged at Mold Crown Court.

At the end of the prosecution case Judge Rhys Rowlands directed the jury to find Kevin Duckworth, a race marshal who was allegedly resting on a crash mat, not guilty of failing to take reasonable care to ensure the health and safety of people at the event. The 41 year old, of Accrington, Lancashire, left the court as a result.

British Cycling Federation - the sport’s governing body - denies that on August 31, 2014, it failed to ensure spectators including Judith Garrett, who died in hospital, were not exposed to risk.

Event organiser Michael Marsden, 41, of Lancaster, pleads not guilty to failing to conduct the event in a manner in which spectators weren’t exposed to risks.

He also denies failing to make a sufficient risk assessment. The prosecution claimed the event was ”poorly run.”

Earlier, the court heard from the event commissaire who organised the event.

Alex Thompson, who qualified as a commissaire in mountain bike racing through British Cycling in 2011, said safety was part of his responsibility – primarily riders' safety.

Asked about spectator safety, he said: “We were not given instruction on spectator safety.”

He said the primary function at a race was to look after the sporting aspects and ensure it was done according to the rules. Normally he would walk the track with the chief marshal.

On this occasion he was not able to do that. He had suffered a knee injury which meant that his ability to walk around was a bit limited.

Asked if he had any reservations, he said British Cycling was aware he had an injury and could not walk the track.

A commissaire would normally walk the course to ensure that the course was taped in such a way that riders could clearly see the line, that there was nothing on the course that could harm riders, for example barbed wire next to course, marking posts facing towards them or something he believed that was dangerous.

Judith Garrett, of north east England, a laboratory quality control officer, had been at the event with her boyfriend who was a competitor and walked up to an area of the three jumps.

Biker Andrew Cody, an experienced rider, hit the first jump but lost control and flew head first into Miss Garrett.

She was knocked backwards and her head apparently hit a tree, fracturing her skull and causing a “devastating” brain injury.

The trial continues.

Denbighshire County Council has brought the case.