Ex-soldier, 32, is jailed for more than two years for running over cyclist while choosing Spotify tune on his mobile phone which he threw into bushes in vain bid to cover his tracks

A distracted driver was jailed for running over a cyclist while choosing a Spotify tune on his mobile phone.

Geraint Coombes, 32, tried to cover his tracks by throwing the smart phone into bushes, a court heard.

But Coombes confessed to police he was on Spotify the moment he hit Edward Taylor off his bike.

Former soldier Geraint Coombes was driving his black Range Rover Discovery Sport on the A469 near Caerphilly, South Wales, when he collided with father-of-two Edward Taylor

Teacher Mr Taylor was left with multiple injuries and was unable to look after his dying wife during the last days of her life.

Former soldier Coombes was driving his black Range Rover Discovery Sport on the A469 near Caerphilly, South Wales, when he collided with the father-of-two.

Coombes was jailed for 27 months at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting causing serious injury by careless driving and perverting the course of justice.

The court heard Coombes, who was in charge of a team of 27 people at a sales company, 'panicked' when he realised he had caused serious injuries to the cyclist.

Prosecutor Emma Harris said: 'After initially telling police he didn't have his phone with him in the car he admitted he was lying.

'He told an officer: 'I was changing a song on Spotify and I threw my phone into bushes. I panicked.'

Coombes served with the Royal Logistics Corps and the Territorial Army and has raised £27,000 for cancer charities through boxing matches.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Coombes tried to cover his tracks by throwing his smart phone into bushes

Ed Mitchard, defending: 'The act of perverting the course of justice was impulsive and it took place seconds after the collision when he was in hysterics.

'When challenged by the police, he came clean with them and took them to where the mobile phone was.'

Judge Richard Williams told him: 'You jettisoned your smartphone and persisted with the fiction that you didn't have a phone on you.

'The police dealt promptly and efficiently with the investigation. They had rumbled the lie you had told them.'  

The judge added: 'You made a most difficult situation infinitely worse for Mr Taylor. His wife had terminal cancer.

Judge Richard Williams sitting at Cardiff Crown Court told Coombes he'd made Mr Taylor's situation worse as his injuries meant he was unable to look after his dying wife

'He and his family had been due to go on holiday shortly after this incident but that had to be cancelled.

'Mr Taylor was also unable to devote himself to look after her in her final months as he and she would have wished.'  

Sales manager Coombes, of Caerphilly, was also banned from driving for three years.