THE partner of a Powys cyclist who died in an endurance race in Australia has said she welcomes the report of the coroner in the case – but remains disappointed by “flaws” in the police investigation.

Anna Haslock, who travelled 20,000 miles to attend the inquest in Canberra in September 2018, believes Mike Hall was unfairly portrayed in the investigation as being reckless over bicycle safety.

The coroner concluded that Mike’s death in the early hours of March 31 2017 when he was hit by a car driven by local man Shegu Bobb was “avoidable”.

The former World Cycle Race winner was taking part in the 5,500km-long Indian Pacific Wheel Race in 2017 when he was struck from behind and died almost instantly less than 500km from the finish.

According to evidence given at the inquest, inexperienced driver Mr Bobb at first thought he had hit a kangaroo.

The coroner, Dr Bernadette Boss, said the champion endurance racer’s death should act as a catalyst for improving the road safety laws in Australia, making six recommendations – including calling for a review of local road intersections. She also said Australia should consider making it mandatory for all cyclists to have flashing rear lights at night.

However, she pointed out that Mr Hall’s cycling clothing had not been retained from the scene of the crash so it was impossible to know if the clothing he was wearing was adequately reflective. Dr Boss concluded: “Mr Hall’s death was avoidable, which makes the loss of this remarkable person even more keenly felt by his family and the community.”

Anna, who lives in Penybont and previously lived with Mike in Abbeycwmhir, said, after hearing the coroner’s observations: “I welcome her conclusion that Mike’s death was avoidable (and) I welcome her recognition of the flaws in the Australian Federal Police’s investigation.”

But she added: “While I support the coroner’s recommendations with regards to road and cycling safety, I feel her recommendations barely scratch the surface of the issue. If this case is to be the catalyst for changes that will enhance rider safety into the future a lot more needs to be done.”

Anna said the reason she had set up a crowdfunding page to enable her to fly to the other side of the world was so that “someone who loved Mike” would be at the inquest defending his interests. But she said: “My task was made harder by the scant evidence I had to work with due to the flawed AFP (Australian Federal Police) investigation and evidence management. I knew I had one opportunity to do this right and I was determined not to fail Mike.

“A single sentence in the coroner’s report might go unnoticed by many but stands out as a vindication of all the hard work I and my small team of dedicated and generous supporters in Canberra undertook. It says, ‘As Mr Hall’s clothing was not retained it has not been possible to conduct accurate analysis of Mr Hall’s conspicuity as he was riding on the Monaro Highway.’ That single sentence removes the keystone of the AFP’s conclusion and brings the whole thing tumbling down.

“The result of the AFP’s premature conclusions, based on assumption rather than investigation and evidence gathering, are catastrophic for me, for Mike and for the community of cyclists we belong to. Without a proper investigation we are left without answers and without the justice we deserve. I may feel relieved that my efforts in attending the inquest and the subsequent document of submissions I made to the coroner did not go unheeded, but that does nothing to mitigate the great harm that has been done. Those of us left behind to fight on his behalf deserve answers from the AFP, and I expect assurances that these kinds of errors will not be repeated.”

She adds that the police failed to seize the driver’s phone, a basic step in any investigation. Without that evidence the AFP could not be certain an offence had not been committed. The coroner concluded that “I am of the view that there is an argument that Mr Bobb was negligent in his driving.”

The coroner has referred the case back to the AFP to determine whether the offence of negligent driving under Section 6 of the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 might be applicable against Mr Bobb.