Emma Way has been found guilty on two charges related to a May incident in which she clipped cyclist Toby Hockley with her car. She tweeted about it, a piece of evidence that proved not only important in the case against her (because, you know, that’s a confession), but captured international attention as the case against her moved toward its natural conclusion.
Norwich magistrates have convicted 22-year-old Way of failing to stop after an accident and failing to report it. She was acquitted of driving without due care and attention, but will pay a £337 fine, £300 in costs, and will get seven points on her license.
After hitting Hockley, Way tweeted:
“Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way – he doesn’t even pay road tax! #Bloodycyclists.”
She later called that tweet her “biggest regret.”
“The tweet was spur of the moment. It was ridiculous and stupid and I apologize to all cyclists,” she said. “It is the biggest regret of my life so far.”
Hockley suffered bruises and minor damage to his bike. Prosecutor Stephen Poole opined that the case was relatively mundane and straightforward, except for the fact that Way tweeted about the incident immediately after it happened.
“Why it becomes notorious is because the suspect went home and tweeted. It was that tweet which has put this into the public arena,” he said.
Way said that she didn’t think Hockley had been injured. She said, “if I did I would definitely have stopped.”
She lost her job as an accountant as a result of the case. She refused to speak to the press on her way out of court, saying that she had signed an exclusive television deal. That deal, with U.K.’s “Daybreak,” has sparked some backlash on Twitter:
Emma Way ran over a cyclist, tweeted about it gleefully, got convicted, and now has an ‘exclusive tv deal’ with @Daybreak. Not cool, guys.
— Alasdair (@ralasdair) November 19, 2013
@Daybreak plumbs new depths if you pay unrepentant criminals like Emma Way to give their side. She had her day in court.
— Mark Holcroft (@MarkHolcroft) November 19, 2013
.@Daybreak Is it true you’re paying Emma Way £1200- the lady who was fined following hitting a cyclist and tweeting about it?
— Chris Wright (@chris1729) November 19, 2013
A satirical account has also been set up in her name:
I’m not against cycling per se – some of my friends are cyclists… #bloodycyclists
— !Emma (@EmmaWay20) November 19, 2013
No, literally in her name. It’s her original handle and everything:
Okay, this clearly isn’t really Emma any more. Twitter let the account be reused and I want to say things about this strange situation…
— !Emma (@EmmaWay20) November 19, 2013
Do you think that Emma Way got off easy? Let us know by tweeting us with the hashtag #bloodycyclists.
photo credit: Thom Watson via photopin cc
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