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A woman jailed for causing the death of an elderly cyclist after gesturing and swearing at her led a ‘sad and lonely’ existence beset by chronic health problems and was estranged from her family, MailOnline can reveal.
Auriol Grey, 49, is described as having ‘only one friend’ and being ‘childlike’ and ‘vulnerable’ as she single-handedly battled through her challenging life.
Struggling to make ends meet, she also suffers from cerebral palsy, is partially blind and has cognitive issues, which restricts her mobility.
Earlier this week Grey was convicted to three years imprisonment for manslaughter after she gestured in a ‘hostile and aggressive’ way to Celia Ward, 77, whom she told to ‘get off the f***ing pavement’ as she cycled towards her in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in October 2020.
The incident led Ms Ward to veer into the road before falling over the front of her bicycle and being struck by a car that was unable to stop. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Grey’s KC has now warned her disabled client is now at risk of losing her home.
Miranda Moore KC said Grey ‘has nobody to support her apart from a friend and no family support at all. She has no financial support at all other than state benefits.
‘If she goes to prison today she would lose her home and has no one to store her possessions. She doesn’t know what would happen to them.’
Auriol Grey, 49, who is described as having ‘only one friend’ and being ‘childlike’, was given a three-year imprisonment sentence after after she told Celia Ward, 77, to ‘get off the f***ing pavement’
In October, 2020, Ms Ward veered into the road and was hit by a car. She was pronounced dead at the scene
Following her conviction at Peterborough Crown Court, the full details of Grey’s challenging existence are beginning to emerge.
She never married and had no partner, living alone for the past 17 years in an adapted home in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire where she relied on state benefits for her financial survival.
Her basic ground-floor flat is run by a charitable trust that provides homes for disabled people who want to live independently. Grey is one of around 20 residents living in the specially-designed block.
Neighbours revealed how she was known for having a bad temper, was seen as a ‘loner’ and was often heard shouting and swearing inside her flat.
Winston Ward, who lives opposite Grey told MailOnline: ‘We have paper thin walls and sometimes I heard her having heated phone conversation with people, telling then to F*** off!
‘I never knew who she was taking to but it was on the phone because she never had any visitors.’
Earlier this week Grey, pictured, was convicted for manslaughter after she gestured in a ‘hostile and aggressive’ to Celia to move off the pavement
Footage captured the moment Ms Ward fell over the front of her bicycle and being struck by a car that was unable to stop
Mr Ward, 60, who is confined to a wheelchair added: ‘She was a bit of a loner and only had one friend.
‘She had a daily routine and would always leave home to go for a walk around 8am. She walked with a split on one of her legs for support and although she had mobility issues she enjoyed walking.
‘She lived here for at least 17 years and cooked and cared for herself but had support workers in to help.
‘She’s always keep her front door half ajar.’
Another neighbour added: ‘Life was hard for her but then so it is for all of us here, as we’ve all got some kind of disability. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh and be pleasant.
‘I always saw her, but we never spoke because it was obvious that she wasn’t interested. She was sad and lonely, had little help and didn’t want to do anything about it. Nobody ever visited her and I never saw her with any friends.’
Grey, a former Norfolk convent schoolgirl is almost totally estranged from her family, barely speaking to her mother who according to sources ‘has no interest in her daughter.’
A source said: ‘They never see each other but occasionally speak on the phone.’
Her sister Genny, older by seven years, died two years ago but even before that the two rarely had any contact.
Scene of the fatal accident – a one way street in Nursery Road, a seven-minute walk from Auriol’s home. She had been walking up along the pavement to the nearby shops when she confronted the pensioner cyclist
Genny lived in a lavish £2 million house in Chiswick, West London with her partner and three children and had little to do with her younger sibling.
A family source said: ‘They didn’t have a lot in common and led very different lives. Auriol lived a very solitary life which made her very grumpy and made things difficult for her.
‘Everything was a huge challenge because she was coping on her own and had no support network.’
During her trial, Grey was accompanied to court by her one friend who drove her to Peterborough each day.
Ahead of sentencing, her lawyer Miranda Moore KC told Judge Sean Enright: ‘’She has nobody to support her apart from a friend and no family support at all. She has no financial support at all other than state benefits.
‘If she goes to prison today she would lose her home and has no one to store her possessions. She doesn’t know what would happen to them.’
But the judge said her actions were ‘not explained by disability’ as he handed her a three-year prison term.
He added that Grey, of Huntingdon, had no mental disorder or learning difficulties and the pavement was 2.4 metres wide at the relevant point, describing it as a ‘shared path on the ring road’.
Judge Enright acknowledged the partial blindness, cognitive and mobility issues and cerebral palsy that Grey suffered from. But he added: ‘It does not reduce your understanding of right or wrong.
Auriol Grey arriving at Peterborough Crown Court, Cambridgeshire, earlier this week for sentencing for the manslaughter of Ms Ward
During her trial, Grey was accompanied to court by her one friend who drove her to Peterborough each day
‘You have not expressed a word about remorse until today in the pre-sentencing notes. I accept the explanation from the counsel and that the difficulty you would face in custody and afterwards are considerable.’
A probation officers report produced in court also underlined Ms Grey’s vulnerability and stressed that she had trouble expressing her emotions because of her mental state.
Grey was described as ‘childlike’, and it was the probation officer’s opinion that she ‘does not pose an ongoing risk to the community’.
The report said that while she was unable to articulate emotions, she was able to write them down.
Ms Moore said: ‘That is her way of communicating the distress, remorse and empathy she feels for all the people involved and she showed these notes to the officer.
‘She does not express emotions as you or I might, but the probation officer was able to be aware of them and the acknowledgement of the devastating impact her actions have had on all.’
Based on her difficult life circumstances and health, Ms Grey’s lawyers are planning to appeal the three-year prison term, which has been branded ‘unfairly harsh’ by disability campaigners.
Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy at Disability Rights UK, told MailOnline: ‘This was a really tragic incident, where Celia lost her life, and I feel sadness and sympathy for all involved. The sentence given to Auriol does seem extremely harsh.
‘With the number of cyclists increasing, we need proper separation of pedestrians, cyclists and cars, so that we can all keep each other safe. Government and councils need to review guidance, to ensure safe streets.’
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