A cyclist sustained a traumatic brain injury, a fractured skull, and a brain bleed after being violently thrown to the ground during a road rage incident captured on camera. The attack occurred on September 20, 2024, in Edinburgh.
Shocking footage shows Joseph Hedley, 39, of Kirkcaldy, engaged in an altercation with cyclist Iain Brown, 34, before exiting his vehicle. Hedley then grabbed Brown by the throat and threw him to the ground, leaving him unconscious.
After the video of the assault was shared on social media, Hedley turned himself in to the police. He pleaded guilty to charges of assault causing serious injury, permanent impairment, and danger to life.
During sentencing on October 27, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Brown lost consciousness and suffered severe head injuries. Hedley fled the scene immediately after the attack.
Hedley was placed on a two-year supervision order, which includes a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. He avoided a custodial sentence.
Solicitor Calum Turner, representing Hedley, told the court that his client did not intend to cause the injuries Brown sustained and has not driven a vehicle since the incident. Turner stated that the cyclist had shouted abuse at Hedley and his passengers and shone a safety light into his car, and that a passenger in Hedley's vehicle had suffered a seizure, prompting Hedley to confront the cyclist.
Sheriff Fergus Thomson acknowledged the significant injuries inflicted by Hedley but determined that an alternative to a custodial sentence was appropriate.
Faith Currie, Procurator Fiscal for Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders, condemned the incident, stating, "This was a violent, sustained and unprovoked assault on an innocent member of the public who suffered serious injuries. The actions of Joseph Hedley were horrific and shocking and could easily have had more devastating consequences. As prosecutors, we wholly condemn road rage incidents of this nature which put the public at unnecessary risk from violent offenders like Joseph Hedley. We will always prosecute such matters where there is a sufficiency of evidence to do so."