A contractor whose trailer crashed into a teacher – causing serious injury – has been fined a total of £600 and ordered to pay £400 costs after admitting to a lesser charge of careless driving.

BBC News reports that Michael Byrne, 40, of Machynlleth in Wales was due to go on trial charged with dangerous driving, but his admission to careless driving was accepted by the prosecution.

In March 2009, teacher Kevin Hamilton was hit by Mr Byrne’s runaway trailer while training for a triathlon on his bicycle in Powys. The trailer had become detached from Mr Byrne’s Ford Transit van as it was driven along the A489.

The trailer hit Mr Hamilton on his bicycle and he was thrown into the air and landed in the road. Mr Hamilton suffered injuries to his pelvis, hip and leg and doctors feared his leg would have to be amputated.  However, he battled to recover and went on to make a full recovery after surgery, but has been left with one leg half-an-inch shorter than the other.

Presiding at Mold Crown Court, Judge John Rogers QC said that Mr Byrne’s ‘carelessness’ did not relate to the manner of his driving – but the fact that he had failed to make sure that a pin to secure the tow pin on the trailer was ‘properly in place’ when he set off from his depot.

The Court took into account the fact that Mr Byrne had fitted a new hitch with pin and clip just a few days before the accident.

Mr Byrne’s legal team said that he very much regretted the incident and was pleased that Mr Hamilton had recovered.

Recently the teacher was able to take part in an athletic event that involved a 400m swim and a 5km road run.

Mr Byrne was fined £500 – as well as £100 for having four defective tyres – and was ordered to pay £400 costs.

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