Manley told a witness and a police officer Lloyd “came out of nowhere”.
The court heard Manley held a full A2 licence, which permits motorcyclists to ride bikes with a maximum power output of 35kw. The bike he was riding, however, had an output of 53kw, meaning he was not licensed nor insured to ride it.
Following the crash, Manley was convicted of a number of driving offences, including driving at 100mph in a 40mph zone.
Anastasis Tasou, defending, said Manley has ridden motorbikes since the age of five and was “not someone who recklessly got on a bike he can’t control”, adding that Mr Lloyd had crossed in an area “one might not expect someone to be crossing”.
He then read a letter written by Manley to the court, which said: “For the last four-and-a-half years, I have lived with the knowledge that a man lost his life due to the collision.”
In the letter, Manley said he “cannot begin to imagine the pain and heartache [Mr Lloyd’s] friends and family have endured”, adding there “has not been a day where it’s not been on my mind”.
