Man, 26, denies killing advanced motorcyclist by careless driving on Yorkshire country road

Oliver Stephen Varey appeared at York Crown Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to causing death by driving without due care and attention.

Varey, of Mallard Drive, Malton, is accused of being the driver of a Suzuki Swift which fatally struck Richard Thomson, 69, as the biker rode his Kawasaki motorcycle along Malton Road, between Marton and Great Edstone, on August 28, 2021.

Mr Thomson, who was enjoying a Bank Holiday ride, lived in Southend and was a long-term member of the Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group.

No further details were given of the collision and Varey will return to the court for a four-day trial in early 2024.

Friends of Mr Thomson, who was nicknamed Mongoose, took part in a procession of motorcycles at his funeral. Twenty selected bikes escorted the hearse to his home before more joined the cortege to the wake at a golf club.