A LORRY driver who knocked down and fatally injured a cyclist will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Steven Cowgill made a split second decision to turn the vehicle, despite being blinded by the sun.

Cyclist William Lakin, 54, of Whitewell Drive, Clitheroe, died in hospital seven days after the collision, which occurred as Cowgill turned into Chipping Lane on November 9.

Cowgill, 37, of Mitchell Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and a tachograph offence.

He was fined a total of £400 with £60 costs and his licence endorsed with six penalty points.

Neil White, prosecuting, said Cowgill immediately admitted that he had not seen the cyclist until he collided with him because he had been temporarily blinded by the sun.

John Houldsworth, defending, said Cowgill was a man of excellent and unblemished character who had worked for Inghams in Clitheroe for 22 years, the past 10 as workshop manager.

On the day of the incident he had been asked by his employer to take some wood to his home in Chaigley and he and a colleague, Richard Flitcroft, had set off to carry out the task. Mr Houldsworth said that the vehicle Cowgill was driving did not require a HGV licence but it was large enough that it needed to slow right down to negotiate the bend on Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe.

He said Mr Flitcroft had told the inquest into Mr Lakin's death that as they turned a bend to approach the junction he had been blinded by the sun and had immediately reached for the sun visor.

"Mr Cowgill was similarly blinded," said Mr Houldsworth.

"At the same time, Mr Lakin was in the shadow of a stone wall and as he commenced to make the right hand turn my client thought there was nothing there."

He said a police accident investigator had told the inquest that Mr Lakin, who was married with two children, was probably doing about 20mph and that equated to nine metres per second.

As he came round the bend he would only have been 20 metres from the junction or just over two seconds away.

"The sun was in my client's eyes and he made a decision which he deeply regrets," said Mr Houldsworth.

He said that while there was no criticism of Mr Lakin it had been revealed at the inquest that he died of head injuries and that he had not been wearing a safety helmet.

"The coroner said that the lesson to be learnt is that protective headgear should be worn at all times," said Mr Houldsworth.