Charlie Alliston is accused of killing Kim Briggs by riding his bike into her while she was out on her lunch break in east London

A cyclist hit and killed a mother-of-two while illegally riding an Olympics-style track bike with no front brake and then posted online comments blaming the victim for the crash, a court heard.

Charlie Alliston, 20, was pedalling at nearly 20mph when he collided with mother-of-two Kim Briggs, 44, as she tried to cross the road on her lunch break in busy Old Street, east London.

Ms Briggs, who had recently started work as head of human resources at the nearby office of genealogy website Find my Past, suffered catastrophic head injuries in the collision on 12 February last year. She later died in hospital.

The cyclist flew up in the air and clattered to the ground before quickly getting up to shout at Mrs Briggs as she lay on the ground, the court heard.

Hours after the crash, Alliston commented on a report about the crash on the Evening Standard website to say 'this was not my fault.'

He also wrote on a cycling forum: 'I won't say she deserved it, it was her fault. Yes it was her fault, but no she did not deserve it. Hopefully it is a lesson to be learned on her behalf.'

The court heard the day after, Alliston continued to post online about the collision, and answered questions about his bike's condition, saying it had 'come out alright-ish'.

He also allegedly wrote: 'F*** me and my health, I can heal and recover. The bike cannot.

'Thankfully I was going quite slowish. Plus I skidded too.

'But unfortunately the momentum kept me going. If I'd of been going any faster the frame would of cracked or shattered.'

In response to questions about the condition of his bike he complained that if he had been going any faster the frame would have cracked or shattered.

Mrs Briggs, 44, died six days after the incident. Her husband said she was a 'wonderful and much loved woman'

Alliston also wrote: 'I refuse to accept any responsibility in this whatsoever... It's not my fault people think they are invincible or just have zero respect for cyclists.

'What makes it worse is that, even when people were helping her, her phone was going off continuously with texts showing she was on it at the time.

'If you value your phone more than your life maybe this is the type of wake up call you need.'

The Old Bailey heard Alliston claimed to have ridden track bikes since 2014.

In 2015, he tweeted about taking the brakes off a previous bike as like being 'in a Lucas Brunelle movie', referring to an American stunt rider, jurors heard.

He bought his black Planet X fixed-wheel track bike for £470 a month before the collision.

In his police interview, Alliston said there had been 'a clash of heads', the Old Bailey heard.

Alliston went online to deny he was to blame for the crash, insisting Mrs Briggs was at fault

Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said: 'The bicycle was not equipped with a front brake and its design does not allow for the installation of a front brake.

'This was a bicycle designed to be ridden on a track. Without a front brake the bike could not be lawfully ridden in a public road.

'Track bikes without a front brake are harder to bring to a halt than bicycles equipped with brakes.

'That is why you see (the Olympians) Chris Hoy and Laura Trott still whizzing around the track long after the finish.

'It is one of the kind of bicycles you see being ridden around the velodrome in the Olympics and other events.'

Alliston was riding a Planet X bike like that pictured, with no front brake, the court heard

Mr Penny added: 'He saw the cyclist fly up into the air and the pedestrian fall at the point of impact.

'The cyclist clattered to the ground further down the road, but quickly sprang to his feet, shouting something at the pedestrian who lay on the ground.

'The cyclist froze after taking that initial step, seeing the pedestrian was still on the ground.'

A witness, Matthew Shaw, was walking along the other side of the road from Mrs Briggs when the collision happened.

Mr Penny added: 'He heard someone shout out twice, 'get out of the way', or something similar.

'He saw a man on a bike, travelling at what Mr Shaw thought was quite a fast speed, collide with a woman who appeared to be crossing the road.'

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the horrific accident at the start of the trial of Alliston at the Old Bailey for manslaughter.

Mr Penny said an investigation concluded that Alliston could have stopped in time if he had a front brake.

The crash happened on London's busy Old Street during Mrs Briggs' lunch break

One witness to the crash at 12.15pm heard two shouts of 'get out of the way' before the impact with Mrs Briggs.

Alliston later told police he was riding an 'average speed' and claimed that she stepped back into his path as he tried to avoid a collision. He denied seeing her stepping off the pavement.

What is the law on bikes on the road? For the first time, the CPS is bringing a charge of manslaughter against Alliston, who was riding a fixed wheel bike with no front brake fitted. It is a legal requirement that bikes have a front braking system. Track bikes not intended for road use can be sold without a front brake, but it is a legal requirement to fit such a bike with a front brake before using it on the road. The law is currently restricted to charging cyclists accused of dangerous or reckless cycling to an outdated 'wanton and furious driving' charge. In Alliston's case, the charge includes wilful neglect in that he was riding a bike that was not legally fit for use on the roads. Advertisement

Alliston claimed the crash would still have happened if he had a brake and added: 'I do not believe I was riding dangerous enough for it to make a difference. I did not have enough time to stop.'

Mrs Briggs, from Lewisham, south-east London, died in hospital on 19 February as a result of severe brain injury.

The prosecutor told jurors that Alliston was charged with manslaughter because his riding was both unlawful and dangerous.

Mr Penny said: 'The Crown suggests that riding a bike without a brake through a busy area of central London at lunchtime at a time when hazards such as pedestrians stepping into the road might be expected to occur was dangerous.'

Husband Matthew Briggs has previously described his wife as a 'wonderful and much loved woman'.

He said: 'My priority has always been to concentrate on supporting my children through this unbelievable heartbreak.'

Alliston, of Bermondsey, denies manslaughter and causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving. The trial continues.