A CARE assistant who smashed into a grandfather as he rode his bike has said she will “never forgive myself” for his death.

Sophie Hickman, of Fane Drive, Berinsfield, avoided jail after she admitted causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and causing death by driving while uninsured.

Paul Welch, 67, from Barleyfields, died of his injuries a day after the accident at the Foxhall Road and Broadway roundabout in November.

Hickman, 24, was sentenced to a term of six months, suspended for two years at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday.

She was disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to pay an £80 surcharge and placed under a 12-month supervision order.

This would include 150 hours of unpaid work and taking part in the restorative justice programme. If the victim’s family agreed she could apologise directly to them.

Maria Dineen, representing Hickman, told the court her client was acutely aware of the “profound effect” her actions had had on her victim’s family.

Md Dineen, told the court: “She cannot forgive herself for what happened on that morning and she almost certainly never will.”

Father-of-two Mr Welch, a retired BT engineer was a lifelong cyclist.

The court heard that on the day of his death he told wife Mandy, “I’m just popping out”, before pedalling off.

Minutes later he was struck by Hickman’s Renault Megane.

The victim’s son, Kieren Welch, wrote a statement saying: “Losing him in such a tragic way is something my mum, sister and I will never fully recover from.”