‘Child’ and partially blind woman ‘couldn’t remember’ moments before a cyclist was killed by a car

A disabled and partially blind woman, described as “childlike”, who was jailed on manslaughter charges this month, told police she “didn’t remember” telling a cyclist to “get off the frigging sidewalk” – seconds before the pensioner was killed a car.

Auriol Grey, 49, has been sentenced to three years in prison after her escape caused grandmother Celia Ward, 77, to lose her balance and fall into the street where she was tragically hit by a car and killed.

Video footage of her interview with police shows her telling them “I don’t remember” as she pressed for details of the incident.

Grey, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is said to have made physical contact with Ms Ward before she lost her balance but left the scene to shop before telling police she had not spoken to the emergency services because ‘they weren’t there’ . .

It comes after her sentence was criticized as being extremely harsh on the 49-year-old, who has only one boyfriend and is estranged from her family.

Auriol Grey, 49, has cerebellar palsy and is partially blind – she has been described as “childlike” and estranged from her family

Footage released by the CPS showed Grey’s interview after her arrest

The tragic accident happened when the retired midwife was riding her bike down a path in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on October 20, 2020.

In the footage, officers asked Gray how Ms Ward ended up on the street.

“I think the bike might have hit the road if it skidded,” she replied.

When asked if she touched the bike or the rider during the incident, Gray replied, “Only in a vague way,” before adding that she touched them “lightly.”

She also originally said she “can’t remember” if she said anything to Ms Ward.

Later in the interview, officers showed her CCTV footage of the collision and indicated that they could see Grey’s lips moving.

She then told officers she had asked Ms Ward to “slow down”.

They also showed Gray stills of the footage, noting Gray that her hand was “on.” [Ms Ward’s] Jacket.’

When pressed to explain this, Gray said again, “I don’t remember”.

The tone in which Gray told Ms Ward to “get off the damn sidewalk” was then played to her by officers.

Gray said she couldn’t hear what was being said on the audio,

She was later asked to explain what she had meant by shouting the expletive at Mrs Ward, to which she replied: “I don’t remember”.

Gray was also asked why she didn’t stay to speak to the emergency services after Ms Ward was struck by the car.

She said, “You weren’t there.”

When pressed, she added: “She was being helped and you could hear the police and things coming.

“I didn’t know I had to [stay].’

The court heard that Gray had “expressed no remorse” for her actions until sentencing and left before emergency services arrived at the scene – although she admitted to police that she heard sirens on her way.

Gray repeatedly told police she could not remember details of the incident that led to Ms Ward’s death

Gray was shown stills from CCTV footage and played back the tape and audio

CCTV footage showed Ms Ward falling onto the road just before she was hit by a car

It is understood that she will appeal her sentence. Her defense attorney warns she will lose her home and all her belongings if she continues to serve time in prison.

Her attorney, Miranda Moore KC, told a court judge, “She has no one to support her other than a boyfriend and no family support at all. She has no financial support other than government benefits.

“If she goes to jail today, she would lose her home and has no one to keep her belongings. She doesn’t know what would happen to them.”

Gray has lived alone for 17 years without a partner, relying solely on government benefits to survive.

Her sister Genny, who is seven years older than her, died two years ago, but even before that the two had hardly any contact.

She has almost no contact with her mother, who said Gray struggled for years after suffering brain damage at birth.

However, a judge said her actions “were not explained by disability.”

Gray is said to have been warned to face imprisonment but still believed she would only be given a suspended sentence.

Your simple ground floor apartment is run by a non-profit foundation that provides a home for people with disabilities who want to live independently.

Neighbors previously said she was known for her bad temper, was seen as a “loner” and was often heard screaming and swearing in her apartment.

One, who lives across the street from Grey, told MailOnline: “We have paper-thin walls and sometimes I could hear her making heated phone calls to people and then telling her to fuck off.

“I never knew who she was going to, but it was on the phone because she never had any visitors.”

But another neighbor disagreed. Executive Assistant Carrie Tooke, 51, told MailOnline: “I can’t believe someone as lovely as her can be treated like that.

“It’s very, very cruel.”

In sentencing, Judge Sean Enright acknowledged Gray’s health issues but told her they “do not diminish your understanding of right or wrong.”

Judge Enright said he could only award an immediate jail sentence, telling Gray she “disallowed the presence of an oncoming cyclist” and that her actions “were not explainable by disability.”

“This was a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians. I’m sure you knew cyclists were using the trail and weren’t caught off guard,” the judge said.

The verdict was also branded “extremely harsh” by disability activists.

Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy at Disability Rights UK, told MailOnline: “This was a truly tragic incident in which Celia lost her life and I feel sadness and sympathy for everyone involved. Auriol’s punishment appears to be extremely severe.

“As the number of cyclists increases, we need proper segregation of pedestrians, cyclists and cars so we can all protect each other.

“Government and councils need to review guidance to ensure safe roads.”

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk