A man has been found guilty of causing the death of a cyclist by driving dangerously on a dual carriageway in Telford.

Stuart Alan Cook, 47, from Bromsgrove, was found guilty of causing the death of Arthur Platt at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict. Mr Platt, 37, from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, was hit by a silver BMW on July 6 last year while cycling on the A442 Queensway between the Trench Lock and Telford Town Centre junctions during a John O’Groats to Land’s End charity ride in aid of Help for Heroes.

Mr Platt was airlifted to hospital, but later died. Cook had denied a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, but will now be sentenced back at the same court on Friday.

The court had heard that Cook had been driving home when his satellite navigation system dropped from the windscreen on to the passenger seat.

He went to pick it up and checked the screen to see if it was still working when his car collided with Mr Platt’s bicycle.

Speaking after the verdict, Mr Platt’s wife Madeleine paid tribute to her husband, describing him as a “special man” who had raised more than £10,000 for Help for Heroes.

She said: “He was a very special man. We are not vindictive people, but if one positive can come of this it is that if people can read what happened and make sure it never happens to anyone else.

“He would want to prevent something like this happening again.

“Help for Heroes was a charity that is very close to his heart and he raised more than £10,000 for them.”

Mr Platt’s sisters Marie Molloy and Kim McKye added: “A wonderful and much loved young man lost his life owing to the dangerous actions of Stuart Alan Cook. We respect the jury’s verdict and we are grateful for justice.

“Whatever the outcome there can be no winners today because, as much as we wish with all our hearts to wind back time and bring Arthur back, that simply cannot be done.

“Finally, we realise that this has been a difficult time for the family of Mr Cook and we wish to extend our sympathy to them.”

By Andrew Morris