A motorist who tweeted about "bloody cyclists" on Twitter hours after knocking a cyclist off his bike has been found guilty of two charges related to the incident.
Former trainee accountant Emma Way, 22, from Watton, Norfolk, was found guilty at Norwich Magistrates' Court today of failing to stop after a collision and failing to report an accident.
Way - who refused to comment as she left court, saying she had signed an exclusive television deal - was cleared of driving without due care and attention.
Emma Way said the tweet was "the biggest regret" of her life
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Magistrates heard that police only became aware of the collision on 19 May because Miss Way tweeted "definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax!" using the hashtag #bloodycyclists afterwards.
She has since described the post as "my biggest regret" as she was convicted of driving offences.
Cyclist Toby Hockley suffered bruising and minor damage to his bike in the incident near the village of Rockland All Saints, Norfolk.
Claiming the collision was Mr Hockley's fault, Way said she had been driving at 15mph and her road positioning was as far to the nearside as possible.
"Afterwards I looked in my mirror," she added.
"I did not think he was injured - if I did I would definitely have stopped."
Magistrate Martin Cliffe fined Way £337 and ordered her to pay £300 in costs. He also ordered that seven penalty points be added to her licence.
Way told the court that she had lost her job with Norwich-based accountancy firm Larking Gowen as a result of the tweet.
She said: "The tweet was spur of the moment. It was ridiculous and stupid and I apologise to all cyclists.
"It is the biggest regret of my life so far."
Describing the trial as a relatively routine case of driving without due care and attention, Prosecutor Stephen Poole said: "Why it becomes notorious is because the suspect went home and tweeted.
"It was that tweet which has put this into the public arena."
Way had about 200 Twitter followers when she sent the message and used to tweet daily.
She said she had since quit the social networking site.