A dangerous driver who used his mobile phone at the wheel killed a cyclist in a hit-and-run. Terry Varndell used his phone for texts and calls in the moments before striking cyclist David Breen in Chichester. The 37-year-old then failed to stop at the scene of the collision on the A286 Main Road at Birdham on October 26, 2021.
Mr Breen, 26, who was cycling home after playing football , died at the scene minutes later. Varndell was not insured to drive his Vauxhall Zafira. Other motorists had seen Mr Breen cycling with lights on along the straight road and they all passed him safely.
But phone records showed Varndell had made numerous texts and calls while driving. It included calls in the moments immediately before the collision. At Portsmouth Crown Court Varndell, formerly a refuse worker of Middleton Close, Bracklesham Bay, was found guilty by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving.
Varndell was not insured to drive his Vauxhall Zafira. (Image: Sussex Police) On Monday, August 5, he was sentenced to six years in prison, was disqualified from driving for eight years with a requirement to complete an extended driving test before he would be allowed to drive again. Mr Breen, originally from County Kerry in Ireland, had been living in Chichester.
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