A cyclist who was imprisoned for running over an elderly church minister, who later passed away from her wounds, was discovered dead months after her release.
On June 7, 2021, Stewart McGinn, 30, crashed with Jane Stone, a retired teacher, age 79, after climbing the pavement and speeding around a turn in Monmouth, South Wales.
The incident was unavoidable for Mrs. Stone, who was returning home from the theater with a friend that evening, and she was “poleaxed” by the impact, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
She begged McGinn to help her, saying, “I’m on my own. Please help me,” but he rode away, leaving Mrs. Stone laying by the side of the road with a severely shattered skull.
She died in hospital four days later.
McGinn handed himself in to police 10 days after the crash and pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving while being in charge of a bicycle.
He was handed a 12-month prison sentence in July last year but went missing after being released halfway through the term.
Police put out a missing person appeal after he was last seen near his home address in Monmouth on Tuesday.
But on Thursday the Gwent force said: ‘A body of a man was discovered in woodland. Formal identification has yet to take place, however we have notified the family of Stewart McGinn.
‘We’re not treating the death as suspicious at this time, and a report has been prepared for the coroner.’
Prosecutor James Wilson said McGinn – who only had one working brake on his bike – came round the corner ‘at speed’ and collided with Mrs Stone.
He said: ‘She fell to the ground landing on her head and suffered a severe fractured skull. The defendant did not stop or offer any assistance but cycled away.’
Mrs Stone’s friend Janet Bromley said Jane was ‘poleaxed’ to the ground by the force of the blow and was left ‘her eyes rolling and mouth frothing’.
The prosecutor said Mrs Bromley told police: ‘He collided with Jane’s body. The front of the bike collided with the front of Jane’s body.
‘Her feet were lifted off the ground and it caused her head to poleaxe to the ground. I heard an almighty crack as her head struck the pavement.’
A victim impact statement from Mrs Stone’s brother David Bruton said his sister was not ‘a frail old lady’ and was ‘healthy and active’ who would go on long distance walks and took part in swimming and yoga.
Ben Waters, defending, said of McGinn: ‘He will have to live with the consequences of his actions and causing the death of another person.’