Majority direction for jury in trial of cyclist charged over pedestrian's death

Jurors have been given a majority direction in the trial of a young cyclist accused of knocking over and killing a mother-of-two as she crossed the street.

Charlie Alliston, then 18, was allegedly travelling at 18mph on a fixed-wheel track bike with no front brakes before he crashed into 44-year-old Kim Briggs as she crossed Old Street, east London, in February last year.

The former courier, from Bermondsey, south London, has denied manslaughter and causing bodily harm by wanton and furious driving under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

Old Bailey jurors were sent out to deliberate on their verdicts on Monday afternoon and were given a majority direction on Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Wendy Joseph QC told them: "The time has now come when I can accept a verdict which is not the verdict of you all. I can accept a verdict on which all 12 are agreed, on which 11 are agreed or 10 of you are agreed, but nothing less will do."