A taxi driver who ran over and killed a pensioner, who was lying injured in the road, has walked free from court.
Henry Vueza-Ngindu failed to heed the "frantic" warnings of members of the public who were tending to a stricken John Lee and ploughed into him with his car.
The Liverool Echo reports that the 76-year-old died "almost instantaneously" following the early hours accident.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday 12 January, that a group of people was driving home along Westminster Road at around 1am on May 30 2021.
As they approached a junction in Kirkdale, they spotted Mr Lee "lying in the road in the opposite carriageway" and stopped to help.
Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, described how another car also pulled over in order to assist him. Mr Lee told the Good Samaritans that he had "had a few drinks and fallen", but "started to complain of pain" when they tried to help him up.
"Fearing that he had serious injuries which may be made worse", the passers-by decided not to move him. They instead stood in the carriageway in order to block traffic.
But then they noticed Vueza-Ngindu's blue Skoda Octavia being driven along the 30mph route from the direction of Walton. It "did not appear to be slowing down" and was around "the length of a football pitch" away.
One of the group began "frantically waving his arms" in order to attract the driver's attention, but the vehicle continued and he had to "jump out of the way to avoid being knocked over".
The witness added in a statement: "I immediately put my head on my hands, as I knew what was going to happen. I spun around and heard a thud, like two vehicles colliding."
Mr Lee was "dragged some distance up the road" by the "private hire vehicle" before it came to a stop. He was tended to by paramedics, but died "almost instantaneously" due to "massive crush injuries to his chest and abdomen".
Vueza-Ngindu, from Salford, passed roadside tests for drink and drugs. Experts concluded that the dad-of-three had been travelling between 30 and 34mph shortly before the collision and had "braked immediately before or upon contact".
Under interview, the 53-year-old told detectives that "although he had seen the people around Mr Lee, he had not seen Mr Lee on the road before it was too late to avoid a collision".
Mr Gibson said: "The prosecution's case is that, given the warnings by the members of the public and the fact that there were a number of people tending to the deceased, a reasonable and prudent driver would have at the very least slowed down to such a speed as to have been able to stop before colliding with the deceased as he lay on the road."
Nigel Beeson, defending, stated that his client has lost his employment as a result of the incident and his wife, a nurse, was now the family's "sole breadwinner".
He added: "He has not sought to hide anything from anybody. He has cooperated throughout. Faced with what must be an incredibly difficult situation, he has had the courage to plead guilty.
"This sad event was nearly three years ago. Not only has Mr Lee's family had to live with the consequences, so has my client's family."
Vueza-Ngindu, who has no previous convictions and used a walking stick in court, admitted causing death by careless driving.
He was handed a nine month imprisonment suspended for a year, told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for a year.
Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey KC said: "This is a sad and tragic case. He was, regrettably, heavily intoxicated.
"There, in the middle of the road, he met his death.
"You are now in the dock, overwhelmed by the events, immersed in remorse and traumatised by the incident. As empathetic, compassionate, emotionally intelligent a man one could ever wish to meet.
"It may well have been a scene, to some extent, of some confusion. You having not seen Mr Lee and not knowing what was going on drove over him.
"You had not been speeding. You had not been drinking.
"You were at work and you had braked either immediate before or on contact. But it was far too late.
"You simply had not heeded the warnings given by those members of the public. What you should have done was to slow down in order to avoid any hazard.
"You are a man of hitherto impeccable previous good character. The court accepts that you are full of remorse.
"You yourself, I have no doubt, have been traumatised by the incident and the realisation that a life has been lost in consequence of your admitted careless driving.
"It is something, in truth, that haunts you. You experience flashbacks, you have become isolated and you also have a number of physical health issues.
"It was more than a momentary lapse. There was a potential hazard, and you did not heed the warnings of others.
"No sentence this court imposes can equate to or compensate for the loss of life.
"In my judgement, in the particular circumstances of this case, the balance weighs clearly in favour of suspending the duration of your sentence."
Source: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/taxi-driver-who-ran-over-28435719
A "totally naked" man burgled a charity, was released on bail before stabbing a taxi driver days later, stealing his vehicle and mowing down a man on a night out.
According to LeedsLive, Pablo Hernandez, 21, began his violent crime spree on January 18 last year when he was caught burgling the premises of Joanna Project - a charity in Holbeck.
Prosecutor Glen Parsons told Leeds Crown Court on Monday 15 January, that after an alarm went off, police attended and saw a naked Hernandez in the window. He had broken in by throwing a rock at the glazed panel of a door.
Mr Parsons said: "He entered with his hands in the air stating that he wanted to hand himself in. He was naked except for a chef's apron he had stolen from the premises.
CCTV was reviewed and saw him arriving at the premises totally naked and climbing into the rear garden...He hadn't stolen anything else from inside the property and nothing else had been damaged."
Hernandez was arrested and interviewed. He maintained his right to silence and was released either on bail or under investigation, Mr Parsons said.
It was nine days later on January 27 that Hernandez, from Leeds, targeted two taxi drivers - the first an Uber driver who had picked up a fare from Harehills at around 9.30pm.
Mr Parsons said: "He parked up and shortly and after a few minutes a man came running down the street at the rear of the vehicle and got into the PHV.
"The driver turned to look at him and noted he had his right hand under his top and appeared to be gripping hold of something.
"He [the driver] thought it may have been a gun. Then he heard the man say something like 'I'm going to kill you.' He produced a kitchen-type knife which was around 12 inches in length and had a black handle."
The court heard Hernandez - who also goes by the name Roberto Taylor - started "swinging" the knife and then lunged at the driver.
He then rained a series of blows upon the taxi driver who was able to escape the car and flee to a nearby shop.
Mr Parsons said: "He got to the shop and saw the defendant had got behind the wheel of the vehicle and drove away in it."
The taxi driver was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he was treated for a number of stab wounds.
It was said Hernandez then drove dangerously to Leeds city centre where in Aire Street he collided with an Audi and then "jumped across" another car.
Mr Parsons said: "He mounted the pavement and collided with and knocked down a pedestrian. The man had been on a night out and was on his way back to the train station. He got an injury to his foot which had been run over."
Hernandez then abandoned the vehicle and attempted to run away on foot before turning to another taxi whose driver was sat in traffic.
Mr Parsons said: "He went to the driver's door and opened it and ordered him to get out. When he [the driver] asked why the defendant punched him to the right side of his jaw in an attempt to get him out of the vehicle.
"Despite being struck, the driver refused to get out and the defendant then ran off further down the street."
Several members of the public gave chase. Hernandez then hit a man over the head with a bottle before he was arrested by British Transport Police officers.
He was interviewed and remained silent through the course of that.
The court was told that at a plea, trial and preparation hearing Hernandez pleaded guilty to burglary of a non-dwelling, wounding with intent, theft of a vehicle, possession of a bladed article, dangerous driving, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of damaging property and attempted robbery.
Mitigating, Craig Sutcliffe, told the court a psychiatric report had taken place and Hernandez was initially found unfit to plead before that position changed after a second report.
Mr Sutcliffe said Hernandez is of previous good character and added: "His family are here and support him and speak of these events as being as puzzling to them as they are to the court.
"He was undoubtedly suffering a mental health episode at the time of the commission of these offences.
"It would seem that a common factor of the complainants in this case is that they have thankfully not suffered long-term injuries and haven't suffered any long-term psychological harm."
Hernandez was jailed for seven years.
Source: https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/totally-naked-burglar-stabbed-taxi-28447952
A man kidnapped a woman and sexually assaulted her after impersonating a taxi driver in a city centre.
Andras Jancso lured the victim in his car before locking the doors, driving to a car park and launching a sexual assault
The Daily Record reports that the 45-year-old was been sentenced to six years in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday 12 January, for kidnapping and sexual assault.
In the early hours of July 2, 2023, the victim was looking to return home after a night out in Swansea with friends. She entered what she believed to be a taxi – the vehicle was parked in a taxi rank area used by licensed taxi drivers - and requested to be taken to her home address.
However, Jancso was merely impersonating a taxi driver. After altering from the victim’s expected route back to her home address, he locked the doors to prevent her escape and sexually assaulted her.
The victim used her mobile phone to call and share her location with a friend, as well as to take video from the front passenger seat of the vehicle – later used to help identify her attacker.
After rebuffing Jancso’s unwanted advances, she eventually convinced him to drop her off a distance away from her home address, so that he did not find out where she lived.
Swansea Crown Court heard the attack has had a profound effect on the young victim leaving her feeling "numb" and wishing for her old life back.
The victim, who has automatic lifelong legal anonymity, said: "I thought: 'This is how I am going to die. He is going to rape me and then he is going to kill me'."
Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the night in question Jancso had been "cruising Swansea city centre" posing as a taxi driver and looking for women for sex in what was a "planned course of conduct".
He noted that police subsequently found photographs and videos of women's behinds that the defendant had taken while driving around.
The judge said CCTV footage showed the defendant had followed his target in his black car for some time until she was alone and had then encouraged her to get into the vehicle by "effectively telling her you were a taxi driver" before driving her to the tennis centre car park and assaulting her.
The judge said he had no doubt the defendant would have gone on to carry out a more serious sexual assault had his passenger not had sufficient wits about her to make contact with a friend via her mobile.
Jancso was sentenced to six years in prison comprising four years for kidnap, two years for sexual assault, and six years for committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence all to run concurrently.
He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/man-who-impersonated-taxi-driver-31869815
A Bradford man who hit out at the council over the placement of a bus lane sign after receiving five penalty charge notices has now had all five Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) cancelled.
Mohammed Sajad, was very pleased to learn that Bradford Council cancelled all five £70 PCNs for using the bus lane on Bridge Street, Bradford, in December.
The Telegraph and Argus reports that Mr Sajaad was travelling from Wakefield Road and turning off on Bridge Street into Bradford city centre.
On his journey on December 17, he noticed a Bus Lane Suspended sign from Croft Street indicating that the bus lane on Bridge Street was suspended.
So Mr Sajad said he used the bus lane believing the whole lane was suspended.
Then he was surprised when he received a PCN for December 17 and four other dates.
And while Bradford Council said the PCNs were “correctly issued”, they accepted and cancelled the fines.
"All five PCNs have been cancelled,” said Mr Sajaad. “Firstly, I wouldn’t have contested the bus lane fine if I knew for a fact I can’t use the bus lane.
“The sign clearly applies all the way through the bus lane as they have cancelled all bus lane fines.
“The council have obviously seen sense that this was the case and cancelled all PCNs.
“I shouldn’t have had to have gone through this situation in the first place.”
In a letter cancelling one of the PCNs, Bradford Council wrote: “We have cancelled your PCN after considering what you say.
“We sent you a PCN because our camera evidence shows your vehicle in a bus lane at a time when only buses and authorised vehicles are allowed there.
“This particular bus lane is in operation 24 hours a day seven days per week due to the nature of the location, the bus lane runs alongside Bradford Interchange which is the main bus and rail station in Bradford.
“It has been in operation since November 2013.
“The sign in question was in place but was only meant to refer to a short section of the bus lane where some temporary traffic management was set out that took the route down from two lanes to one next to a traffic island.
“As it’s a black and yellow advisory sign, it is only valid until the driver reaches the next permanent road sign that displays the order.
“It appears you have driven past the temporary sign, assumed it applies all the way along the route and not made a correct observation of the permanent sign that follows it at the top of Bridge Street.”
A crackdown on disruptive roadworks could cut congestion for millions of drivers and generate up to £100 million extra to resurface roads, as the first key measures from the Government’s Plan for Drivers are delivered today, Monday 15 January.
Roads Minister Guy Opperman has launched a street works consultation on a series of measures to prevent utility companies from letting roadworks overrun and clogging up traffic as a result.
The consultation seeks to extend the current £10,000 per day fine for overrunning street works into weekends and bank holidays as a deterrent for working on the busiest days for road travel. Currently, they are only fined for disruption on working days. The measures could double fines from £500 up to a maximum of £1,000 for companies that breach conditions of the job, such as working without a permit.
The plans would also direct at least 50% of money from lane rental schemes to be used to improve roads and repair potholes. Lane rental schemes allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road.
As a result, the measures could generate up to £100 million extra over ten years to resurface roads while helping tackle congestion, cutting down journey times and helping drivers get from A to B more easily.
Launching on National Pothole Day, the consultation is part of a series of measures from the Government’s Plan for Drivers, a 30-point plan to support people’s freedoms to use their cars, curb over-zealous enforcement measures and back drivers.
Roads Minister Guy Opperman said: “Being stuck in traffic is infuriating for drivers. Too often traffic jams are caused by overrunning street works.
“This Government is backing drivers, with a robust approach to utility companies and others, who dig up our streets.
"We will seek to massively increase fines for companies that breach conditions and fine works that overrun into weekends and bank holidays, while making the rental for such works help generate up to an extra £100 million to improve local roads.”
While it’s essential that gas, water and other utility companies carry out vital maintenance work to provide the services we all rely on, the two million street works carried out in England in 2022/2023 have cost the economy around £4 billion by causing severe road congestion and disrupting journeys.
The consultation comes after the Government introduced a performance-based “street works regime” to ensure utility companies resurface roads to the best possible standard, and new lane rental schemes where utility companies can be charged up to £2,500 per day for street works.
The measures can also help boost active travel by preventing street works from disrupting walking, wheeling and cycling, while also providing opportunities to improve pavements and pedestrian crossings and make repairs to pavements and cycle lanes.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “Overrunning roadworks and poorly re-instated roads from utilities companies frustrate drivers, cause unnecessary congestion, and trench defects can damage vehicles and injure those on two-wheels.
“We are pleased that the Government is looking to extend the fines for over-running street works, invest more of the surplus fines in roads and ensure that those who dig up the roads repair them to a high and timely standard.”
In addition, the Government plans to make all temporary, experimental or permanent restrictions on traffic digital. These so called “Traffic Regulation Orders” (TROs) include things such as the location of parking spaces, road closures and speed limits.
Making these digital means that they must now be added to satnav systems, ensuring drivers have the most up-to-date information, making journeys easier and paving the way for more reliable autonomous vehicles.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Drivers shouldn’t have to put up with temporary roadworks for any longer than is necessary, so we’re pleased to see the Government is looking to do more to guarantee that utility companies minimise disruption by carrying out roadworks as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"They should also leave roads in better condition than they found them, which unfortunately is hardly ever the case at the moment.”
The measures follow the biggest ever funding uplift for local road improvements, with £8.3 billion of redirected HS2 funding – enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across England, as the Government continues to be on the side of drivers and improve journeys for more people, in more places, more quickly.
An unlicensed taxi driver who picked up two vulnerable women in Aberdare has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.
Cleethorpes taxi drivers are breathing a sigh of relief after council enforcement officers cracked down on vehicles illegally parked in designated taxi ranks.
A Barry man has avoided jail after launching a drunken attack on a taxi driver who refused him entry to his vehicle.
Jersey’s taxi service is in crisis, with driver numbers plummeting by more than a quarter since 2014, a new report has revealed.
On Wednesday 27 July, more than 300 vulnerable youngsters were taken on an all-expenses paid trip to Southport.
Taxi drivers in the town will be able to charge passengers more following a decision by the borough council on 31 July.
A taxi driver has been sentenced to a community order after admitting causing the death of a pedestrian by driving at excessive speed.
A joint operation by council, police, and DVSA officials has seen three taxis taken off the road in Oldham due to safety concerns.
Taxi drivers licensed by Mid Sussex could soon be forced to accept card payments, following a surge in complaints about cash-only services.
Two men have avoided immediate jail time after a high-speed race left a taxi driver with serious injuries.
BYD, manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Uber, designed to bring 100,000 new BYD EVs onto the Uber platform across key global markets.
Ways of increasing the amount of wheelchair-accessible taxis across the city are set to be explored to make it easier for those who need one to get one.
Cumbrian taxi drivers are fighting back against proposed licensing changes they fear will cripple their livelihoods.
Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
A Conwy Council meeting on Monday revealed a critical failing that allowed a taxi driver whose license had been revoked to continue transporting children to school.
Worcester City Council is seeking public opinion on a proposal to make safeguarding training mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers.
A proposal to increase driver, vehicle and private hire operator licences was discussed on Friday 19 July 19 at Sheffield City Council’s waste and street scene committee.
Through this collaboration, FREENOW willl provide additional benefits giving drivers up to 25% off pay-as-you-go rates across the entire bp pulse electric charging network and discounted fuel at all UK bp branded sites.
Wakefield Licensing, working alongside West Yorks Police Roads Policing unit, NPT, Off-Road Bike Team, Police Intercept Team, DVLA & DVSA, held a Partnership Day of Action at Thornes Park.