A teacher who caused the death of a York cyclist by opening his car door has been fined £100.

Edward Smith's leg was broken when he cycled past Julian Barnard's car near Jackson's supermarket in Fulford Road, York, last October.

The 66-year-old cyclist from Heslington Lane, Fulford, died from complications a month later.

At his inquest, York coroner Donald Coverdale urged motorists in the city to take care to avoid a similar tragedy by checking and double-checking before opening their car doors.

He heard that it was not certain the cyclist fell from his bicycle because it collided with the car door or whether the shock of seeing it open caused him to fall.

At York Magistrates Court, Barnard's solicitor Chris Baranowski said: "He (the driver) heard a bang and immediately realised he had knocked Mr Smith unfortunately off his bicycle."

Barnard, of Pearson Park, Hull, pleaded guilty to opening a car door so as to injure or endanger a person.

"This was clearly, as the prosecution say, a tragic accident," senior magistrate Peter Hogarth told him. "We have taken into account the degree of carelessness and your behaviour afterwards. The consequences were clearly very serious and something I am sure you are living with."

He said that he and the two magistrates sitting with him had, by law, to sentence on Barnard's action and not its consequences. "It was a minor error of judgement," said Dr Hogarth.

Barnard was fined £100 with £35 costs. The maximum penalty for the offence is a £1,000 fine.

Giving evidence at the inquest, Barnard said: "I can't explain how I didn't see him. I really did try because I was aware of the danger of the situation."

Prosecutor David Garnett told magistrates that Barnard's car was one of several parked along Fulford Road on October 14. The opening of the car door caused Mr Smith to fall off.

He fractured two of his leg bones and his ankle and died from complications on November 15.

When police interviewed Barnard on November 9, he was clearly concerned about Mr Smith's welfare.

For Barnard, Mr Baranowski said he had had to wait for "dozens of vehicles" to go past. He had been checking in his mirrors and when he thought the road was clear had opened his door slightly so he could look over his shoulder before getting out. Immediately after the collision, he had got out to help Mr Smith and he had co-operated fully with police inquiries.

Updated: 11:29 Tuesday, June 12, 2001