David Morgan

Introduction

David Morgan is a 40-year-old Norwich man who was convicted of murdering a cyclist in a road-rage collision after a day of heavy drinking. Morgan swerved his Mercedes into Richard Smith, a 50-year-old father of three, on Chartwell Road in Norwich on May 8, 2026, after the cyclist’s bike came into contact with his car in stationary traffic; Smith died of catastrophic head injuries three days later . A jury of nine women and three men at Norwich Crown Court found Morgan guilty of murder following a trial at which he denied using his car as a weapon; he will be sentenced on November 30 .

Background Information

Morgan, of George Winter Court, Norwich, spent May 8 drinking from about 12:30 BST at the Sole and Heel pub in Rackheath near Norwich, where CCTV showed him dancing at the bar and ordering at least four pints of Peroni. He told the court he had drunk five or six pints that day. He then collected his children from primary school after 15:00, returned to the pub, and later took his children to another pub, the Boundary, before 17:00 . Smith was cycling home from work when the collision occurred .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Convicted of murder; sentencing pending. Morgan’s murder conviction was returned unanimously by a Norwich Crown Court jury in November 2026; sentencing is set for November 30 and he maintains the swerve was meant only to intimidate.

While in stationary traffic at a red light, Morgan got into an altercation with Smith after the cyclist came into contact with his Mercedes wing mirror. Morgan claimed Smith called him a rude word and cycled off; he caught up with Smith and swerved into him . Smith was taken to hospital with catastrophic head injuries and died three days later .

Prosecutors told the trial Morgan gave at least eight different accounts of the incident in an attempt to avoid blame. But CCTV footage captured outside his father’s home recorded him admitting to swerving into Smith, saying: “I ain’t having it, no [expletive] is going to touch my car” . Morgan was arrested two hours later on Bignold Road, where a roadside test found he was positive for cocaine and cannabis as well as alcohol . He told jurors the Mercedes was the “first nice car” he had bought and that he had wanted to “teach him a lesson,” but denied using the car as a weapon, insisting he swerved toward Smith only to “intimidate him.” He told jurors he “felt extremely guilty and truly sorry” .

On the first day of the trial Morgan pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the jury convicted him of the more serious offence of murder. After the unanimous verdict was read, gasps could be heard in the court as Morgan continued to look forward toward the judge .

Public Reaction and Consequences

The conviction closed a six-month prosecution over a killing that local coverage had followed from the fatal collision onward, with the BBC noting prior reports including tributes to Smith as a “proud dad” after the collision and hearings in which Morgan’s swerve was contested . Norfolk Police released body camera footage of Morgan’s arrest and CCTV of his hours at the Rackheath pub as the trial evidence became public .

Current Status

Morgan, 40, remains in custody following his November 2026 murder conviction and will reappear at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on November 30. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence, with the judge setting the minimum term at the sentencing hearing .

Impact on Their Career/Life

Morgan faces a mandatory life imprisonment when sentenced on November 30, with the minimum term to be fixed by the court. His defence at trial — that the swerve that killed Smith was an attempt to intimidate rather than a use of the car as a weapon — was rejected by the jury, and his own recorded words outside his father’s home became central evidence of intent .

Sources

• BBC News, “Drink driver guilty of Norwich road-rage cyclist murder,” November 11, 2026 — source