Last July I had started playing around with different places to mount a camera to record my bike rides. On one fateful day I chose to test it mounted to my helmet. Little did I know how much that would save me just a few hours later.

On this day the weather was fantastic so I left work about an hour early so I could get a nice long ride in before I commuted home. Unfortunately I only made it about a half mile from my office when I was verbally abused and attacked by another cyclist.

At first I thought the rant was amusing because I had the camera on my head pointing right at him so I assumed he was just trying to be entertaining but when he pointed out my accent and how it's a problem I realized it maybe wasn't very funny so I tried to just get away. He catches back up with me at the next red light and attempts to attack me with two different D-locks. I manage to defend myself and he runs off. I step away from the scene to apologize to those around me when he comes back to my bike and stomps on it, bending the fork, frame, wheel, and disc brake. Luckily as he flees he is stopped by a member of the City of London Police.

He is ultimately charged with using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behavior with intent to cause fear of/provoke unlawful violence and criminal damage to property valued under £5000. Over a year after the incident we attend trial.

His defense rested completely on the belief that his locks supposedly fell out of his pockets as he pulled along side me and I allegedly grabbed them to hit him. The damage to my bike was supposedly caused by it falling to the ground. I know defense lawyers need to represent their client as best as possible but their claims were asinine when viewing the video evidence put forward. Luckily the City of London Magistrate's Court agreed with me and he was found guilty and eventually sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, and ordered to compensate me for my bike.