Paul Stuart Meadowcroft: Geraldton man set to appeal sentence for driving into cyclist Steve Zimmermann

A Geraldton driver jailed for deliberately driving his car at a cyclist - leaving him a tetraplegic - is set to appeal his eight and a half-year conviction.

Paul Stuart Meadowcroft was found guilty of intentionally endangering the life, health, or safety of Steve Zimmermann when he drove his Isuzu D-MAX ute straight into the cyclist on Bayly Street on April 1, 2021.

A jury delivered their guilty verdict after a four-day trial in Geraldton District Court earlier this year.

In June, Meadowcroft was sentenced to more than eight years behind bars by District Court Judge Martin Flynn.

Defence lawyer George Giudice said Meadowcroft would appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Meadowcroft was behind the wheel of his near two-tonne ute when he came across the German backpacker on his bike at a roundabout in Geraldton.

A trial heard that something sparked Mr Zimmermann to gesture and shout towards Meadowcroft, 51, before riding off down the Bayly Street footpath.

Witnesses and CCTV captured Meadowcroft doing a U-turn, crossing onto the wrong side of the road, then the verge and then pavement — before hitting Mr Zimmermann at close to 30km/h.

The impact catapulted the German traveller metres into the air, then into fence.

Meadowcroft sped off, leaving the cyclist in the hands of strangers — and with life-altering injuries.

He is a tetraplegic, with no muscle control below the waist, only slight movement in his arms, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and at times suicidal thoughts.

Fiona Stanley Hospital rehabilitation specialist Dr Fiona McHugh told the court Mr Zimmermann’s injuries were permanent and he would likely never walk again.

Meadowcroft had admitted to causing the injuries.

But at trial denied he had intentionally put Mr Zimmermann’s life at risk.