Jail for driver who killed ‘creative, social, comedic, kind and busy’ teenage cyclist

Speeding driver Oliver Nicholls who killed a ‘creative, social, sporting, comedic, kind and busy’ 14-year-old teenage cyclist has been jailed. Isla Cochrane was killed when Nicholls, 22, of Corpus Christi Lane, Godmanchester, mounted a pavement in his Mini Cooper along Oakington Road towards Girton and struck her.

Nicholls had overtaken a vehicle turning left into New Road and had misjudged the road at about 8.20pm on 10 September last year. He had been doing 56mph in a 40mph zone.

Yesterday (19 December), Nicholls was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing last month.

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Isla’s family said after the sentencing: “Few moments pass without Isla in our immediate thoughts.

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“Isla was creative, social, sporting, comedic, kind and busy, and the life to which she was entitled was taken cruelly from her.”

Their statement added: “Isla was killed when a car that was being driven at excessive speed mounted the cycle lane and collided with her bicycle.

“The court proceedings have highlighted how Isla, riding fully in the separated cycle lane, with lights and helmet, had done nothing wrong; she had no chance.

“We are grateful for the thoroughness of the police and Crown Prosecution Service and the care taken by the Crown Court to apply the law appropriately and justly.

“Mr. Nicholls had every opportunity to make correct decisions on that night; it was his duty to drive so as to protect others. Rather, he made the worst possible decisions and he drove so as to endanger others, resulting in Isla’s death.

“We believe, though, that Mr. Nicholls is coming to terms with the magnitude of the impact of his actions and feels guilt and pain.

“While we are uncomfortable that a young man is now imprisoned, we feel that the sentence will serve as a deterrent to other dangerous drivers.

“We hope that over time Mr. Nicholls will find ways to use his experiences to help to educate and warn others who choose to drive dangerously.

“Isla died because a driver chose to drive at dangerous speeds. This is immutable. Why, though, was this choice available to the driver?

“Driving at unsafe speeds is common; why is any driver given the option to drive above the speed limit?

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“We ask, given that the technology exists, is it not time to require mandatory speed limiters in all vehicles or, at least, mandatory speed recorders?

The court heard yesterday that following the crash Nicholls stopped and he and a passenger, who were uninjured, got out of the car and called for an ambulance.

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Paramedics rushed cyclist Isla Cochrane, of Lawrence Close, Girton, Cambridge, to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, but she died of her injuries during the early hours of the following day.

A forensic collision investigation report revealed Nicholls had reached speeds of up to 71mph moments before the fatal collision, despite the speed limit being 40mph.

Nicholls told investigators that when he overtook the car waiting to turn left into New Road, he thought he was travelling at about 40mph and had mistaken the cat’s eyes on the cycle path as being the middle of the road.

Isla, who had been wearing a helmet, had her cycle lights switched on but, despite this, Nicholls said he did not see her and knew something was wrong when he hit the kerb and braked hard, but it was too late.

Nicholls was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing last month.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years and must pass an extended test before he could get a licence.

The BBC reports that, in mitigation, Lucy Organ said Nicholls was “genuinely remorseful” and “he told one friend he wish he’d died that night”.

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She told the court Nicholls had worked as a healthcare assistant at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge during the Covid-19 pandemic and had received a number of commendations during his time there.

DC Kim Marshall said: “Nicholls’ reckless driving that evening led to the death of a young girl, which has devastated her family and friends.

“There is nothing that highlights the danger and devastation speeding causes more than a heart-breaking case like this one.

“Our thoughts remain with Isla’s family, and I hope the sentence handed to Nicholls will provide some form of closure for them. I would like to pay tribute to their bravery throughout the course of this investigation.”

Ed Elliott, head of Perse School, Cambridge, where Isla was a student described her as “an incredibly talented, committed and kind student who made a major contribution to the school both in and outside of the classroom.

“Always positive, cheerful and keen to be fully involved in school life, Isla enjoyed music, playing in our hockey and netball teams”.

She had also taken part in the Emmaus sleepout, sleeping outside overnight on the school site to raise money and awareness for the homelessness charity Emmaus.

And she had received the Chief Scout’s Gold Award and, said the head, was an outstanding role model to other young people as a patrol leader.