A hit-and-run driver who killed a cyclist before torching his car to destroy evidence has been jailed for 14 years after forensic analysis of glass fragments linked him to the fatal collision.
Jonathan Knight, 31, of Beacon Road, Loughborough, was convicted at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday of causing death by driving without due care whilst under the influence of drugs, causing death whilst unlicenced and uninsured, dangerous driving, and perverting the course of justice. The court heard how windscreen glass recovered from both the victim’s clothing and Knight’s sweatshirt proved crucial in securing the conviction.
Knight received his sentence on Thursday, along with a driving ban of 13 years and eight months, and must take a mandatory retest before returning to the road. The case centred on the death of 47-year-old Anthony Smith, known as Tony, who was struck whilst cycling on Ling Road, Loughborough, on the evening of 7 July 2023.
Fatal Collision and Immediate Aftermath
Officers were called to Ling Road shortly after 8pm following reports of a collision. Despite the efforts of East Midlands Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance, Mr Smith died at the scene from his injuries. The driver had fled, leaving no witnesses to the actual impact.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing a silver Audi S3 with severe front-end damage, including a smashed windscreen, driving erratically along Ling Road, Browns Lane and Beacon Road immediately after the collision. The windscreen damage was so extensive that witnesses observed the driver having to put his head out of the driver’s side window to navigate.
“The windscreen was so badly damaged that the driver was having to put his head of the driver’s side window to see where he was going,” the court heard from witness testimony.
Three witnesses reported seeing the same vehicle reversing off a driveway in Beacon Road shortly before 9pm, less than an hour after the fatal collision.
Evidence Destroyed by Fire
In an attempt to destroy evidence, Knight set his vehicle ablaze on land off Frederick Street. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received the call about the car fire shortly after 9pm. Despite the fire causing extensive interior damage, the exterior remained intact enough for investigators to identify it as the Audi S3 registered to Knight.
Police arrested Knight in the early hours of the following morning at his home. His clothing was seized, and following an interview where he declined to comment, he was released on police bail whilst the investigation continued.
Detective Constable Paul Hicks, the investigating officer, said the lack of witnesses to the actual collision “made the case more challenging and gave it an added level of complexity” from the outset.
Forensic Breakthrough
The breakthrough came from painstaking forensic analysis of glass fragments. Samples from the Audi’s damaged windscreen were sent for specialist examination, whilst Mr Smith’s jacket was also recovered and analysed.
Forensic scientists discovered ten fragments of glass on the surface of Tony’s jacket. More significantly, Knight’s sweatshirt, seized upon his arrest, contained fifty glass fragments on its surface.
Following detailed forensic examination, scientists concluded that Anthony “had been struck and had been in recent contact with the breaking and or/broken glass from the windscreen of the damaged Audi.” The same analysis proved Knight “had also been in recent contact with the breaking and or/broken glass from the windscreen of the same damaged Audi.”
This forensic evidence proved pivotal in placing Knight at the scene and establishing his involvement in the collision.
Digital Evidence Corroborates Case
The investigation also utilised mobile phone data to strengthen the case against Knight. Analysis placed his mobile phone in the vicinity of the collision scene at the time it occurred, corroborating the witness sightings of the damaged Audi being driven through the area.
Phone data also placed Knight at the location where the Audi was abandoned and set alight, further cementing the timeline of events prosecutors presented to the jury.
Knight was charged in December 2023 after answering police bail. The additional charge of perverting the course of justice reflected his deliberate attempts to destroy evidence by burning the vehicle.
Victim Remembered as Caring Individual
Mr Smith’s family paid tribute to the 47-year-old, who had moved from Glasgow to work as a support worker for a drug rehabilitation service in Loughborough. His sister, Annemarie, described Anthony as having “the kindest and biggest heart.”
In a statement released during the investigation, the family said: “Tony was a very caring person who helped others battle addiction, which he himself overcame. He loved the outdoors and keeping fit and over the past few years Tony lived life to the full, from skydiving to kayaking.”
“He will be greatly missed by his family, especially his mother, brother, sister and his niece,” the family added, noting he had been due to celebrate his 48th birthday just days after his death on 20 July.
Investigation Praised Despite Challenges
Detective Constable Paul Hicks praised the forensic teams whose work proved instrumental in securing justice. “We had no witness to the actual collision which from the start made the case more challenging and gave it an added level of complexity,” he explained.
“However, through some detailed detective work and excellent forensic evidence, we were able to place Knight as the driver of the vehicle, which hit and sadly killed Tony.”
He added: “Given the clear attempts to destroy any possible evidence by abandoning and setting the car alight, Knight was additionally charged with perverting the course of justice, another offence which strengthened the overwhelming case against him.”
Others Released Without Charge
A 40-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman who were previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice were released with no further action following the investigation.
The case highlights the sophisticated forensic techniques now available to police investigating serious road traffic collisions, even when perpetrators attempt to destroy evidence. Glass fragment analysis has become an increasingly valuable tool in forensic investigations, particularly in hit-and-run cases where traditional evidence may be limited.
Knight’s substantial prison sentence reflects both the severity of his actions and his calculated attempts to evade justice by destroying evidence that could have linked him to Mr Smith’s death.
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