Edinburgh driver avoids prison for assault on cyclist

Joseph Hedley avoided a prison sentence for assaulting cyclist Iain Brown in Edinburgh after pleading guilty to an offence involving severe injury, permanent impairment and danger to life. Edinburgh Sheriff Court imposed a two-year supervision order, electronic monitoring and a 12-month overnight home curfew, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sheriff Fergus Thomson said prison had been avoided by a narrow margin. The assault took place in Cowgate on September 20, 2024. Hedley, 39, got out of his car, grabbed Brown by the throat and threw him to the ground, according to the account presented in court. Brown, then 34, lost consciousness and was taken to hospital. His injuries included a fractured skull, an acute bleed on the brain and a traumatic brain injury. Prosecutor Faith Currie described the attack as violent, sustained and unprovoked, and said Brown had suffered serious injuries. The court heard that medics considered the injuries to pose a potential danger to Brown’s life. Sheriff Thomson said Hedley had inflicted significant injuries when explaining the non-custodial sentence. Hedley left the scene after the assault and later handed himself in to police, having learned they were...