A fitness instructor has been cleared of causing the death of a motorcycle enthusiast by careless driving.

Supporters of Oliver Varey, now 27, from Ryedale, wept in the public gallery of York Crown Court after the jury returned its unanimous verdict.

He had been charged over the death of Richard Thomson, 69, of Essex, who had been in North Yorkshire with fellow Kawasaki enthusiasts on Saturday August 28, 2021.

The jury heard that Mr Thomson was overtaking a line of five vehicles on an unclassified road through Little Edstone near Malton when his motorbike and Mr Varey’s car collided and that his bike’s speedometer after the crash gave a reading of 102mph.

Mr Varey told the jury he had been second in the line of traffic. He had checked his mirrors twice and had believed it was safe before moving out to overtake the leading vehicle, and was hit from behind by Mr Thomson’s motorbike.

He heard a “big bang” at the rear of the driver’s side of the car and drove on looking for a place where he could stop and turn round.

Mr Varey said he had seen a single motorcycle at the back of the line of vehicles and had believed it was going at the same speed as the other vehicles.

Mr Varey, of Mallard View, Norton, denied causing death by careless driving. The jury acquitted him after an hour in retirement at the end of a seven-day trial.

Mr Thomson was fatally injured in the crash. He was the lead biker in a group of five Kawasaki enthusiasts out for a ride together. Members of the group denied in evidence that he was riding at excessive speed.

Prosecution and defence expert witnesses agreed that the motorcyclists were riding at more than the 60mph speed limit but disagreed over exactly how much. They also disagreed over whether the speedometer reading indicated the kind of speed Mr Thomson was riding at or whether it had been caused by the crash.

The jury heard one of the motorcyclists claim that Mr Varey had driven off at 100mph after the crash and covered more than half a mile before he caught up with him and told him to return.

Mr Varey said he was driving at 60mph and had stopped within half a mile. He said he was in shock after hearing the bang. On his return to the scene, his girlfriend took him to one side.

“I sat there, head in my hands crying. I couldn’t believe what I had seen,” he told the jury. He remained at the scene until police arrived.

Mr Varey told the jury he had been playing football in a home match at Kirkbymoorside against a team from Dringhouses, Acomb, and was heading back to Malton when the crash occurred.