A man who assaulted cyclists on a charity ride by pushing them off their bikes has landed himself a three-month suspended prison sentence.

Aaron Pauley, 21, of Hastingleigh, was a passenger in a car which drove past the cyclists in Wye last May when he leant out the window and shoved them.

He managed to push three bikes, one of which was a tandem carrying a partially-sighted rider.

He also filmed the antics, which took place in Coldharbour Lane, on a mobile phone.

The victims were three-quarters of the way through a 355-mile Memorial Cycle Ride and were travelling from Paris to Bury St Edmunds in honour of their friends and relatives who died in a plane crash in France four decades ago.

Chris Berry, who lives just outside Bury St Edmunds and who was on the ride, said: “Two people were in a car and they pulled up alongside us and pushed people.

“I managed to stay on but the rider in front of me was pushed over.

“Further up the road, the tandem was pushed, which had a partially-sighted rider, and another bike carrying an ex-policeman was pushed, too.

“No-one was hurt as such, but it could have potentially been worse. The person in front of me was close to a barbed wire fence.”

Former police officer Neil Ireland was cycling down a hill when Pauley attempted to push him.

"By that time we were very tired and were just angry that someone could do something so stupid." - Chris Berry

Mr Ireland, who now lives in Bury St Edmunds but previously lived in Shottenden, said: “I was going down towards Wye when this idiot came up alongside me.

“I glanced over and realised what was going to happen. He was hanging out the window, arm extended with a mobile phone.

“I quickly put the brakes on. I was scared because I was going down a hill, and I wasn’t going slow.”

Mr Ireland, who trained at the former Ashford Police Training Centre in Kennington, avoided being pushed but says he felt shocked and cross at Pauley’s actions.

Following the assaults, the riders flagged down a policeman and stopped for around 20 minutes to check no-one was injured.

The attack took place on the third day of the cyclist's four-day challenge between Paris and Bury St Edmunds.

Those on the ride included members of the Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club, plus friends and family, and was organised to mark the 40th anniversary of a plane crash which killed 18 players from the sports club.

The group had been in Paris to watch a France-England rugby international and were travelling home on board a Turkish Airlines flight when it came down in woodland near Paris on March 3, 1974.

All 346 passengers and crew on board were killed, including the 18 rugby players, six British fashion models, and 48 Japanese bank management trainees who were on their way to England.

The 355-mile Memorial Cycle Ride started in France on May 7, 2014, following a ceremony at the crash site to mark 40 years since the disaster.

From there, the 100 cyclists rode back to Suffolk over four days.

The ride raised £150,000 in total, which was divided between St Nicholas Hospice in Bury, and the installation of floodlights to help the development of youth rugby in the town.

Mr Berry added: “I have no idea why he did it. He was young. I guess he thought it was humorous.

“We were angry. By that time we were very tired and were just angry that someone could do something so stupid.

“We spoke to some riders who were further along, and they said he’d tried to do the same thing.”

The day after he attacked the cyclists, Pauley pulled a similar stunt when he pushed a 52-year-old man off his bike in Bell Lane, Biddenden.

Police were able to trace Pauley through the car’s registration number, which several of the cyclists had provided, plus a description of him.

On May 21, 2014, they seized a mobile phone which had footage on it of the incidents, and he was arrested four days later.

Pauley appeared at Thanet Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, March 11, and pleaded not guilty to four assaults.

However, he was convicted of all four attacks and sentenced to 90 days in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay £500 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Mr Ireland added: “We were lucky to come across Kent Police. They were excellent and I’m glad they pursued it.”