A motorist who hit a cyclist has admitted causing serious bodily harm by careless driving.

Christian Luke Mason knocked the woman off her bicycle at Braaid Road in St Mark’s, while driving his BMW.

He appeared before magistrates and also entered guilty pleas to having no insurance, no tax, and two counts of having defective tyres.

The 33-year-old, who lives at Douglas Street in Castletown, will be sentenced on May 15 after a probation report has been prepared.

Prosecuting advocate Victoria Kinrade told the court that the victim was cycling in St Mark’s on September 25 last year, at 11.45am.

Mason’s BMW was travelling in the same direction, and he moved out to overtake her, but failed to see an oncoming van.

He aborted the overtake, but collided with the cyclist, causing her to be thrown off her bike.

A retired police officer, who was driving in the opposite direction said that the cyclist was in the correct position on the road and that the BMW was driving at high speed.

He said that he had to take evasive action when he saw the oncoming BMW, and had expected a collision, but then saw the cyclist cartwheeling into the air.

She was taken to hospital and was said to have suffered fractures to the spine, as well as abrasions to her abdomen, knees, chest, and back.

Mason was interviewed and said he had turned onto Braaid Road and had been driving at 40mph.

He said he had accelerated to between 50 and 60mph, then seen the bend, but had not seen the cyclist.

He said as he exited the bend, he saw the bike rider and had moved out to overtake, but that the oncoming vehicle had initially been hidden by the dip.

Mason said he applied his brakes and was driving at 15 to 20mph when he hit the cyclist, but that she had fallen backwards and hit his windshield, causing it to break.

He told police that the BMW had been serviced a few months ago, and a fault had been identified with the braking system.

He admitted he had been potentially going too quickly for the corner and that the onus had been on him to ensure it was safe to overtake.

A compensation claim has been submitted for £5,469, though the maximum that can be awarded in summary court is £5,000.

Mason was represented in court by advocate Louise Cooil, who said that the victim had been able to return to work and that no surgery had been required.

Ms Cooil said that it had been stated that the woman had returned to cycling in December, and that the claim had been for a new bicycle, but that the bike was at the test centre and was usable.

The advocate asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing and evidence of the compensation claim to be provided.

Bail continues in the sum of £500, with a condition to contact probation.