The collision occurred at 11:42am on Sunday 3 November last year on the Promenade. The toddler was taken to hospital where doctors discovered she had suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.
The details: CCTV footage showed Wickenden of Old Norwich Road, Ipswich, riding the uninsured electric unicycle with a loud-speaker playing, weaving in and out of pedestrians and up and down steps before colliding with the child who was playing with her family.
A mechanical examination concluded the vehicle was "extremely hard to control without good skills" and could achieve high speeds for prolonged distances. The unicycle was not registered, insured, or legal for use on public roads or spaces.
Despite initially claiming in a prepared statement that "she veered to her right and ran into the side of me", Wickenden pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving, no insurance and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence when he appeared at court on 23 May.
Wickenden was sentenced to 14 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Friday, 27 June. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £239 in costs.
What they're saying: In a victim impact statement read to the court, the child's mother described the devastating effect on her family. "As a parent the last thing you ever want is to hear your child is in pain and suffering, especially from something so careless and preventable," she said.
She explained how her daughter had to wear a soft helmet when she returned to nursery and was unable to use new playground equipment, leaving her "upset and unsure as to why she couldn't do what her friends were doing".
The mother continued: "The daily worry of what could happen as she grows is frightening, the unknown of how much this has truly affected her. The emotional distress we have gone through as a family in such a small amount of time is awful. A feeling me, and my children, will never forget."
The child is believed to have made a full recovery but continues to undergo eye and hearing tests to ensure there are no further or lasting injuries.
PC Will Hudson, the investigating officer, said: "This was a unique and complex investigation, due to the type of vehicle involved, which sadly should never had occurred. The victim was innocently playing with her family on the promenade, and her whole life may have changed as a result of the collision."
He added: "Quite simply Wickenden shouldn't have been riding this vehicle, let alone on a busy pedestrianised seaside promenade. The fact he tried to excuse himself straight after the incident was deplorable, especially against the CCTV footage of his riding manner."
A/Insp Matt Dale, the senior investigating officer, said: "This was an unusual incident where a child had suffered serious injuries as a result of a lack of due care from the defendant, riding a vehicle that is not legal on our roads or public spaces. This matter was easily preventable and could have had resulted in a fatal outcome."
The bottom line: Police hope the case will deter others from using uninsured electric vehicles in pedestrian areas, emphasising that such devices belong only in private spaces with proper precautions. Authorities urge anyone with electric unicycles or similar devices to check legal requirements before use and consider the potentially devastating consequences of accidents.
