An uninsured driver has been handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay £5,000 compensation after knocking over a cyclist, who suffered a broken back.

Christian Luke Mason was also banned from the roads for four years after he pleaded guilty to causing serious bodily harm by careless driving, having no insurance, no tax, and two defective tyres.

The 33-year-old appeared before magistrates and was sentenced to 20 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and also put under supervision for two years.

We previously reported that the victim was cycling in St Mark’s on September 25 last year, at around 11.45am.

Mason’s BMW was travelling in the same direction, and he moved out to overtake, but failed to see an oncoming van.

He aborted the overtake, but collided with the cyclist, causing her to be thrown off.

A retired police officer, who was driving in the opposite direction said the cyclist was in the correct road position and that the BMW was travelling at high speed.

He said he had to take evasive action when he saw the oncoming BMW, and had expected a collision, but then saw the cyclist cartwheeling into the air.

She was taken to hospital and was said to have suffered fractures to the spine, as well as abrasions to her abdomen, knees, chest, and back.

Mason, who lives at Douglas Street, Castletown, was interviewed and said he had turned onto Braaid Road and had been driving at 40mph.

He said that he had accelerated to between 50 and 60mph, then seen the bend, but had not seen the cyclist.

He said as he exited the bend, he saw the bike rider and had moved out to overtake, but that the oncoming vehicle had initially been hidden by the dip.

Mason said he applied his brakes and was driving at 15 to 20mph when he hit the cyclist, but that she had fallen backwards and hit his windscreen, causing it to break.

He told police that the vehicle’s rear tyres had recently been replaced, but that he had not been warned about the defective front tyres, though this was said to have had no bearing on the accident.

He admitted he had been potentially going too quickly for the corner and that the onus had been on him to ensure it was safe to overtake.

Defence advocate Louise Cooil said that the offence had effectively been a lapse of concentration on Mason’s part.

The advocate said that speed, and perhaps a familiarity with the road leading to a lack of concentration, had contributed.

Ms Cooil said that Mason had accepted he was going too fast, driving at around 60mph.

She said that the defendant was now seeking employment off the island and intended to sell his car, having not driven since the incident.

Magistrates also ordered Mason to pay £125 prosecution costs and take an extended test at the end of his ban.

He will pay at a rate of £250 per month.