A cyclist who knocked over a young girl blocking his way has claimed that he only decided to stuck his knee out to balance himself.
The man in his 60s reportedly tried to explain what happened when he appeared in court on February 3.
“When I was riding close to the girl, I felt my rear wheel sliding,” he said.
“To avoid a fall, I balanced myself with a movement of my knee. I felt that I might have hit the girl, but did not immediately realise she had been knocked over.”
However, the prosecutor said that the statement seemed unlikely and told the court: “He was annoyed by the people on the path who had to swerve around all the time.
“He gave the child a ‘knee punch’ out of sheer annoyance because an obstacle was in his way for the umpteenth time.”
The prosecutor dealing with the case further said: “He is being prosecuted for deliberately inflicting blows and injuries on a minor and for his attitude. If he had admitted the facts, we could have considered alternative measures.”
The video shows the young girl walking with her mother on a snow-covered path as the man approaches from behind.
He then knocks the 5-year-old down but continues on his way without looking around.
Patrick Mpasa shared the clip on social media and it quickly went viral. The public prosecutor’s office then learned about the incident and cops managed to track down the man.
If convicted, the cyclist could face jail time.
According to reports, the girl’s parents only asked the court for a symbolic compensation of 1 euro.
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