Criminal moped rider weeps in court before being jailed

A moped rider who filmed himself kicking cyclists off their bikes in south London has been jailed for 18 months, after a judge described his behaviour as “prolonged, persistent and deliberate.”

The rider, 21-year-old Davontay Higgins, admitted to two separate attacks, which he partly recorded and shared online. One victim, a 57-year-old cyclist, was riding through Tooting when Higgins approached from behind, wearing a balaclava under his helmet, and lashed out with his foot. The rider was knocked into a parked car, suffering bruises, bleeding and grazes that took months to heal.

In another incident, a second cyclist was sent flying over his handlebars at around 15mph, crashing into the rear windscreen of a parked car. He sustained head, shoulder and back injuries and required hospital treatment.

Judge Georgia Kent told Kingston Crown Court that Higgins had “targeted two vulnerable road users and intentionally caused them injuries,” adding that he had used his moped and foot “as weapons.” She ordered an 18-month sentence for two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of dangerous driving, with Higgins to serve half behind bars and the rest under licence. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and nine months. Reports state that before the hearing, Higgins was seen to be crying in court, apparently fearful of a custodial sentence.

The attacks took place in Summerstown, Tooting, and Longfield Street, Southfields, in August and October last year. Both were caught on video, one by a helmet cam and the other by Higgins himself, who posted the footage to Snapchat, where it was widely shared. Police later recovered mopeds near his home address.

The case almost never made it to court after the Crown Prosecution Service initially declined to prosecute, citing a lack of evidence. The first victim successfully appealed through the victims’ right to review scheme, forcing the CPS to reconsider.

In sentencing, Judge Kent criticised Higgins for using his phone to record the second attack and then posting it online, calling it an attempt to gain attention for serious offending.

Higgins, who has a previous conviction for robbery, wept before sentencing, and his defence lawyer said he struggled with ADHD, cannabis use and difficult personal circumstances. The court heard he had recently started working in his mother’s Caribbean restaurant.

For motorcyclists, the case is another grim reminder that mopeds and scooters, often unfairly tarred by association with antisocial behaviour, are once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The actions of one reckless rider have not only left two people injured, but also done nothing to help the wider perception of powered two-wheelers on London’s roads.

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