Ross Nuttall in King’s Lynn court after leaving cyclist with brain bleed following Bawsey crash

A cyclist left with a brain bleed after a driver ploughed into her said it was “the most horrific experience” of her life.

The victim was cycling along the B1145 at Bawsey on April 24 when Ross Nuttall, 25, struck her while attempting an overtake.

Nuttall, of The Street in Marham, did not stop at the scene and failed to report the incident to the police.

A member of the public driving in the opposite direction at the time witnessed the incident, and was able to alert emergency services.

The cyclist, who was unconscious after being hit, suffered a bleed on the brain and a fractured eye socket. She was also left with two black eyes, significant bruising and a spine injury.

Nuttall appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and failing to report the collision.

The court was told that visibility was good at the time, and that the cyclist’s bike had lights attached to its frame and wheels.

Nuttall was arrested after his Volkswagen Golf was located in Gayton, and he was identified as the driver from footage showing him visiting McDonald’s on the same day.

In a victim personal statement read aloud in court, the cyclist said the incident was “the most horrific experience of my life so far”.

She said that although she is an experienced cyclist, there is nothing she could have done to prevent herself coming to harm.

She said the road was “very quiet” at the time, with “hardly any traffic”.

“It was a huge shock when I found out I was a victim of a hit and run,” she added.

The ordeal has made her “realise how fragile my life is”, while she is “more anxious and less trusting” than before.

Additionally, although the signs of physical injury on her body are small, “they are permanent and will be a reminder of what happened”.

The cyclist’s personal belongings were also damaged.

Mitigating, solicitor Alison Muir said Nuttall is “a young man with no previous convictions”.

Nuttall will learn his fate on December 5, with the probation service carrying out a pre-sentence report before that date.

Magistrates released the defendant on unconditional bail, and handed him an interim driving disqualification until he returns to court.