Widow still haunted by seeing her husband killed by cyclist in Gosport road rage attack

Deborah Galvin watched as Duncan Snellgrove, 28, was jailed for three years and six months at Portsmouth Crown Court for the killing of her husband Roy Galvin.

Snellgrove, of Mandarin Way, Gosport, pushed the 69-year-old over following a dispute over a friend riding in the cycle lane blocking Mr Galvin's wheelchair-using wife.

''Roy was my total companion and we had a lot of fun sharing our lives together,' Mrs Galvin said in a statement released after court.

'He was incredibly intelligent and very, very, funny. He just loved life and was my best friend in the world.


'Roy retired from the Royal Navy in 1987 and had so many friends in the local area. Everybody knew him when he walked the poodles.


'He was my entire world and was very loyal. He was a wonderful husband to me, brother, and thought the world of his nephew Grant. We will all miss him very much.


'Roy and I were married on March 17, 2004, and from that day on we were together pretty much all of the time.

'Roy had a new lease of life when he retired and we laughed every day. He was without doubt my rock and he totally and completely looked after me. Roy was a loving and very caring husband.


'I miss Roy more than I can possibly put into words.

'I have had my husband and soulmate taken from me far too early.

'The terror of the incident on Bury Road is still with me and is pretty much on my mind for every minute of every day - I just can't seem to get it out of my head.

'When it is in my mind all I can see is the incident that led to Roy's death and the vision of the man responsible running away. It just haunts me.


'The officers who have supported my family since September have really helped us, because their investigation has led to Duncan Snellgrove being jailed today.'

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Adam Price said: 'This was a cowardly assault on a Royal Navy veteran who was simply walking home with his wife on a Sunday afternoon.

'Snellgrove’s actions were completely disproportionate to the situation and his unnecessary aggression had tragic consequences.


'While Mr Galvin’s family are still grieving, I hope this sentence and Mr Snellgrove’s admission of manslaughter provide them some comfort.


'I’d like to thank the motorists and local residents who came forward to help our witness appeals at the time. Today’s sentence and the comments from the Judge underline just how serious the consequences of this assault were.'