Man who left professor to die after reversing over him avoids prison

A motorist who left a university professor to die in the road after reversing over him in his Land Rover has avoided prison.

Timothy Cale collided with Professor Simon McQueen-Mason when he 'dangerously' reversed his car around a corner on the Isle of Wight in June 2022, a court heard.

The 64-year-old University of York professor 'couldn't have avoided' being hit by Cale, 59, who was on his way to get his Land Rover repaired after it failed its MOT.

Cale claimed that he initially left the scene following the collision because he hadn't noticed what had happened.

The father of four pleaded not guilty to a charge of death by careless driving, but was found guilty after a trial.

He managed to avoid getting jail time after Portsmouth Crown Court, Hampshire, heard that he was a 'family man' who was looking after his father who had been diagnosed with cancer.

Judge David Melville KC told the court that in June 2022, Cale had been driving his car around multiple garages in Shorwell on the Isle of Wight, where he lived at the time, as he had failed his MOT two weeks prior in May.

His Land Rover Freelander had failed the MOT due to an ignition issue, and the court heard that Cale had driven the car 384 miles since the MOT.

At around 10am, Cale, who was a shopkeeper but is now unemployed, made a 'dangerous' manoeuvre and reversed around a corner.

It was 'a beautiful day' and Dr McQueen-Mason was out cycling at the same time.

When Cale's Land Rover reversed around the corner, the professor was left 'with no time to move', and he collided with the vehicle.

Cale, because it was an unkempt road, heard a deafening bang but thought he had 'collided with a branch' and drove away from the scene, leaving Dr McQueen-Mason dying on the ground.

The shopkeeper returned soon after on foot when he had parked the car and realised what he had done.

Cale was arrested, and at two subsequent police interviews, he claimed the accident wasn't his fault and that Dr McQueen-Mason must have been cycling 'too fast'.

Dr McQueen-Mason was a biology professor at the University of York and was survived by his wife and two children. His wife attended Cale's sentencing at Portsmouth.

He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Newport Crown Court in November 2025.

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Motorist who left university professor to die after reversing over him is guilty of careless driving

The jury did not hear that his Land Rover had failed its MOT and that that was the reason he was out that day.

Judge Melville found that this was an aggravating factor, along with Dr McQueen-Mason being a vulnerable road user because he was a cyclist.

However, Cale was handed a two-year suspended sentence because he is a 'family man' whose four children and father would be impacted if he were sent to prison.

Judge Melville said: 'You are here to be sentenced for causing the death of Professor Simon McQueen-Mason.

'The circumstances are that on the 5 June 2022 it was a beautiful, sunny day. The deceased went out with his pedal bike.

'He collided with your vehicle which you were reversing. He couldn't have avoided it.

'Although you heard a deafening bang you drove away and parked your car but you did return to the scene.

'You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when he came around the corner. He couldn't avoid you and you collided.

'It was a dangerous manoeuvre.

'It was a tragedy for him, for his family, and for all those to whom he was a gifted teacher. It was devastating to his partner.

'There are aggravating features: Dr McQueen-Mason, as a cyclist, was a vulnerable road user.

'And although the failed MOT and poor performance of the vehicle did not directly contribute to the accident, it would never have happened if the vehicle hadn't have failed the MOT as you wouldn't have been travelling to those garages.'

Judge Melville concluded: 'However these are balanced by the mitigating factors. You have two children who live with you.

'Your 17-year-old daughter is about to take her A levels and is upset at the thought that you might be taken away to prison today.

'And you're a 59-year-old man with no previous allegations against you.'

Russell Pyne, prosecuting, said the decision to reverse created a 'catastrophic collision and the loss of a life'.

Cale was also banned for driving for three years, ordered to 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.