THE jury in the case of a cyclist accused of fracturing an off-duty police officer's eye socket has been discharged.
Jurors were unable to reach a majority verdict after three hours of deliberation yesterday in the case of Gareth Pitt, 53, who was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to PC Paul Wiltshire by punching him in the face.
On the third day of the trial at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Simon Darwall-Smith said the Crown Prosecution Service now had seven days to decide whether it wished to proceed with a retrial.
The jury had heard that Mr Pitt, of Great Ann Street, St Jude's, struck PC Wiltshire while not realising he was an police officer.
The blow was struck as the pair argued in St John's Lane, Bedminster, following a road rage incident.
PC Wiltshire needed surgery to his fractured left eye socket, which caused him double vision for months afterwards.
Mr Pitt denied the charge on May 20 last year, claiming he acted in self-defence.
The court heard the confrontation had begun in Ketch Road, where Mr Pitt and PC Wiltshire clashed as the off-duty officer manoeuvred his car and blocked part of the road.
It continued into Fitzgerald Road and St John's Lane, where Mr Pitt got off his bike and PC Wiltshire out of his car, and they confronted each other in an incident seen by several other drivers and passers-by.
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