A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER who was knocked down and left bleeding by a young cyclist who allegedly rode off laughing is threatening to chain herself to a court building.
Violet Grace, 76, is demanding justice after a judge scrapped the case because the policeman who conducted an identity parade is too ill to give evidence.
The pensioner has already organised a meeting with her MP and is planning to take her case to the Prime Minister since the court case was thrown out.
In July last year, a cyclist smashed into her while allegedly going the wrong way down Faulkner Street, Hoole.
She says the cyclist laughed and rode off, leaving Violet with a bleeding eye and broken glasses. The fall has left her injured and frightened a year on – but she feels the authorities believe the case is too minor.
Crying, she said: “I’d like to know why he hit me to the floor – it was senseless. I haven’t been well since. It’s sad that disabled people can’t walk along the street.”
Diabetic Violet, who also suffers with a spine condition which makes walking difficult, cannot use her right hand after the collision and has had to learn to inject insulin with her left hand. She also now fears going out.
District Judge Nicholas Sanders threw out the trial.
A judiciary spokeswoman said: “The decision was taken to dismiss the case after a number of adjournments. Amongst the factors in the decision were the unwarranted stresses on an elderly lady and the stress on a policeman recovering from a heart attack.”
However Violet said: “It was thrown out because a policeman had a heart attack. Why should I be penalised? I had to fight to get myself heard.
“I feel it’s about my age as well and I want justice in court for the old.”
Cheshire police say they did everything possible to get the case to court.
Inspector Ian Thorp said: “It’s a really desperately sad case. The thing that really made it horrible was that he left her lying in the road and she got some quite horrible injuries, which made it important for us because it’s involving an OAP who clearly has had a lot of pain and anguish.”
Violet has spent many years campaigning for children’s rights and worked as a community artist with youngsters.
She said: “I was called Supergran. But Supergran’s been knocked to the floor and nothing’s got done about it.”
