Company director is jailed and his wife is fined for shoving cyclist off electric bike

A wealthy company director has been jailed and his wife fined more than £1,300 for pushing a cyclist off an electric bike because he was ‘riding too fast’ in a country park.

Paul Oliver, 49, and wife Sarah, 45, were walking their dogs through Kenilworth Greenway Country Park in Warwickshire when Jaroslaw Zachwieja rode past them at around 12mph (20kmh).

Mr Oliver shouted at the rider, telling him to ‘Slow the f*** down’ after he came within a few feet of them.

When Mr Zachwieja cycled towards them again minutes later, Mr Oliver shoved him off the bike then grabbed him by his shoulders and lifted him off the ground before pushing him back down.

Mr Zachwieja suffered five smashed ribs, a broken shoulder blade and grazes to his body and face in the attack.

Construction boss Paul Oliver admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was jailed for six months after pushing the cyclist off his bike

Sarah Oliver (left) and Lynette Armstrong (right) told officers he had been attacked by a mystery man who ran off. They were charged with perverting the course of justice but admitted an alternative offence of assisting an offender

The court heard Mr Zachwieja was pedalling his electric bike along a section of old railway line in the country park when he was confronted by Oliver. 

Gary Rutter, prosecuting, said the victim felt ‘a massive blow’ from Oliver as he rode past, knocking him off his bike and leaving him screaming in pain on the ground. 

Oliver, who runs Capital Construction Ltd, fled while his wife and friend Lynnet Armstrong, 55, stayed at the scene and called police and an ambulance.

While Mr Zachwieja was taken to hospital, the women told officers he had been attacked by a mystery man who ran off.

After getting a statement from the victim in hospital, police swooped on the Oliver’s £600,000 home near Coventry and his wife broke down in tears, telling officers: ‘I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have lied.’

Her husband admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was jailed for six months at Warwick Crown Court on Monday.

His wife and Armstrong were charged with perverting the course of justice but admitted an alternative offence of assisting an offender.

Mrs Oliver was fined £160 while Armstrong was given a conditional discharge. Both women were also ordered to pay £1,200 court costs.

The incident happened in the Kenilworth Greenway Country Park in Warwickshire

Jailing Oliver, Recorder William Davis said: ‘You believed he was riding too fast, given the width of the path. You appeared to be angry, and as he went past you pushed him, causing him to fall off his bike.

‘Although it was not premeditated, it was a deliberate push which resulted in very serious injuries.

‘Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by the imposition of an immediate sentence of imprisonment.’

Turning to the two women, the judge said: ‘Both of you lied about what happened. Fortunately the truth was quickly uncovered.’  

Ian Speed, defending, said: ‘The injuries were totally not intended, and could have been partly caused by the speed he was travelling at.

‘If he had been almost stationary he would not have suffered such injury.’