A motorist who fatally struck a cyclist before fleeing the scene has been jailed for 12 and a half years.
Danny Gibson, 38, was sentenced after admitting to causing a fatal collision on The Street in Wormshill on Tuesday 18 October 2022. Gibson had spent the afternoon drinking in Sheerness before taking his mother’s car without her permission. He then drove through Wormshill and surrounding areas before he collided with the victim, who was cycling near his home. Gibson abandoned the vehicle in a nearby field and left the scene on foot.
A witness reported that at about 5pm she heard a loud bang shortly after seeing the cyclist pass by, and later saw the car in a field. Gibson was seen leaving the area but failed to report the incident or seek help for the victim. Kent Police Officers visited his address later that evening following a report about a domestic incident but at no point did Gibson report the collision.
The victim was discovered later that evening by a friend who had gone searching for him when he failed to return home. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics at 8.45pm.
Gibson, from Sittingbourne was arrested and later identified by the witness through an ID procedure. He was also forensically linked to the vehicle after a piece of the broken glass was found in his hair. He was charged with multiple offences including causing death by careless driving while over the drug-drive limit, driving while unlicensed and uninsured. Initially he denied the offences, claiming it couldn’t have been him because he doesn’t have a licence. But Gibson later admitted to the offences at a hearing in April 2025. A charge of aggravated vehicle taking was ordered to lie on file.
At Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 17 October 2025, Gibson was jailed for 12 years and six months. He was also banned from driving for 20 years and will be required to pass an extended re-test.
Detective Constable Dave Holmes from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said:
‘This was a tragic and entirely avoidable incident that has devastated a family and a community. Gibson’s reckless actions and decision to flee the scene showed a complete disregard for human life. We hope this sentence brings some measure of justice to the victim’s loved ones.’