Cyclist's widow tells of moment 'my world was ripped apart, changed forever, my future destroyed'

Heart-rending tributes have been paid to a father-of-two who was killed as he cycled to work in Immingham by a dangerous driver.

Stuart Simons had cycled extensively abroad and throughout the UK, clocking up around an average of 7,500 miles every year, but was killed just two miles from his home.Mr Simons' wife, Claire told a court: "It breaks my heart knowing that Stu will not see his girls grow up, he will not be able to drive them to prom, to wave them off to college or proudly walk them down the aisle and he will never meet his grandchildren."She told how her husband took part in charity cycle rides in memory of their daughter Martha Rose, who died in 2012 from a congenital heart defect aged just four months.Driver, David Parker, 67, of Torrington Road, Scunthorpe struck the rear of Mr Simons' cycle on the A1077 at around 5.30am on October 7, 2022. He was jailed for 21 months and banned from driving for more than six years.

At Grimsby Crown Court, Senior Crown Advocate, Jeremy Evans said Mr Simons was an enthusiastic and proficient cyclist. He was wearing a backpack with a reflective covering and his specialist cycle was fitted with strobe red lighting at the rear and a light at the front. He also wore a safety helmet.He commuted 17 miles to Immingham from his home in South Ferriby each workday, he said. Mr Simons was positioned correctly on the uphill climb out of South Ferriby towards Barton and had been seen by other motorists.But Parker, driving a Ford Kuga, did not see the rider and struck the rear of the cycle. Mr Evans said a police reconstruction of the collision showed the driver had 24 seconds to see the cyclist before the impact.The stretch of the A1077 is governed by a 60mph speed limit. Police crash investigators estimated the speed of the Ford to be 47mph."The cycle's rear light would have been conspicuous from 600 metres away and Mr Simons would have been visible from 200 metres prior to the collision," the prosecutor said. He said the rider died from unsurvivable and catastrophic injuries and as a result of the collision.Parker told police at the scene he had not seen the cyclist. In interview he said he could not explain why he had not observed the cyclist, but admitted the cycle's rear red light was flashing. At an earlier hearing he admitted causing death by dangerous driving.In her victim impact statement, which she read through tears at court, Claire Simons said: "It has taken me so many attempts to write this statement. Every time I begin, the tears start to flow and I find myself unable to write anything.

'I mean, how do you find the right words that can define the impact of never seeing my husband again - my wonderful Stu and the girls never seeing their dad again, who they love and adore with all their heart.

'It literally affects every aspect of our lives and it has changed us as a family forever." She told how they met when she was 18 years old and they had 24 perfect years."On the 7th of October 2022 my world was ripped apart, changed forever, my future destroyed. My girls were happily getting ready for school that morning when the knock at the door came. Two police officers stood there and their words still haunt me."I then had to tell the girls that their Daddy was not coming home. That they would never see him again. We did not even get to say goodbye. My pain is unbearable and to see the same pain in the eyes of my daughters is almost too much to bear," she said.She highlighted the toll the tragedy had taken on her daughters and how they fear losing their mum or someone else close to them. "They have lost their childhood, their innocence and they have been forced to grow up quickly and thrown into a world they do not want to be part of," she added.The grieving widow said her husband had worked hard to provide for his family and she felt their secure future had been taken away from them. The family often have to drive along the road where the father was killed.

Mrs Simons said: "I do not wish harm, but I can never forgive. A good, decent, kind, loving family man has been taken away too soon and the impact of that is indescribable."Mr Simons' brother Damian said: "Words do not scratch the surface of providing an insight in the full HD, surround-sound experience of grief and loss. The true experience hits much harder and is relentless, my head is always full of questions which cannot be answered and there is no escape from this."The grief we have all experienced from losing Stu is a 24 hours-a-day sentence that cannot be escaped no matter how hard we may try." He added: "Stu was the best of people. If you knew him and had him as part of your life then you could consider yourself to be one of life's lucky few."I consider myself very lucky to have gotten to spend the first 43 years of my life with him." The brother said: "We all have a Stu-sized hole in our lives and there is no way of filling that void."Addressing the defendant he said : "As families we are very private people but it is important to me that you realise the incredible amount of damage you inflicted on countless lives when you took Stu from us. You didn't just cut down the biggest and strongest tree that day, you set fire to the entire forest."Each person who knew him will bear the scars of that day forever. Stu is irreplaceable and we will never have peace."For Parker, Craig Lowe said his client was remorseful and had written a "truly, sincere and heartfelt apology for the loss and devastation he has caused to so many." He said his client was of good character and had called 999 as soon as he realised what had happened in the collision.

He said Parker had a good driving record over 32 years. The professional welder is the sole carer for his ill wife, the defence barrister said.He said his client will never drive a car ever again. Parker is a father of two and grandfather of four. References handed to the judge spoke of his "unassuming, good-hearted character with strong moral principles."Judge Richard Woolfall said: "The factor that makes this dangerous was that you had at least 24 seconds to notice Mr Simons. It is a long time."He said Mr Simons was a vulnerable road user on his cycle. "He was an excellent cyclist," he said. He highlighted the devastation the collision had on the family whom he praised for attending court.After the hearing, Sergeant Rob Mazingham of Humberside Police urged all motorists to take extra care when there are cyclists on the road as cars "can be a lethal weapon" and cyclists are "vulnerable.""To go for 24 seconds not to see someone is a long time and I would like everyone to reflect on that." he said.

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