Driver sentenced over teacher's cycle crash death

A driver has been given a community sentence over the death of a "fantastic" teacher who was knocked down while riding his bike.

Justin Loveland, who was head of sixth form at The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis, Dorset, crashed at about 07:30 BST on 16 May 2025 in Bridport Road, Dorchester.

The 50-year-old died at Southampton General Hospital the following day from "unsurvivable" brain injuries, Weymouth magistrates were told.

Becky Blake, 55, of Stoke Road, Weymouth, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. She was also banned from driving for two years.

The mental health worker, who had an unblemished driving record, was turning right into Damers Road, when Loveland came down a hill from the opposite direction, the court heard.

She later told police: "I just slowed down to take the junction and then the man hit my windscreen. He came out of nowhere."

The teacher, from Dorchester, was thrown into the air, landing next to a passing ambulance, the court was told.

He suffered a spinal fracture and severe brain injuries and died the following evening.

In a victim personal statement, Russell Loveland paid tribute to his "charismatic, funny, thoughtful" brother.

He said the tragedy was even more "poignant" because it happened 15 months after the death of the teacher's fiancee.

Loveland told the court he hoped the case would "encourage motorists to be less impatient".

Simon Lacey, defending, said Blake had never had points on her licence and was a "careful driver, not a risk-taker".

"She thought she looked. For some reason - she doesn't know why - she didn't see the man," he told magistrates.

Blake wished that Loveland had been wearing a cycle helmet, the solicitor added.

Previously, The Woodroffe School said staff were "deeply saddened" by the loss of a "fantastic teacher" who had worked there for 22 years.

In a statement, the school said: "Mr Loveland was woven into the fabric of our school.

"For each of those 22 years, he led students across Dartmoor as part of the Ten Tors challenge.

"This was him, a teacher willing to give up countless hours, providing our students with the chance to experience new things and push themselves beyond what they thought was possible.

"Above all, Mr Loveland was a fantastic teacher.

"The countless messages received from current and former students, parents' past and present and members of the wider education community show just how much he meant to so many people."

In addition to the sentence, magistrates imposed costs of £199.

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