A convicted killer who took another life during a head-on collision in a Sheffield neighbourhood has been told he must spend the next half a decade behind bars.
The Star reports that Sheffield Crown Court heard how Ryan Naughton, who has previous convictions for manslaughter and robbery, caused a head-on collision that occurred on Harborough Avenue, Manor, Sheffield on September 9, 2021.
He attempted a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre at speed and ploughed into a taxi carrying an elderly couple, with fatal consequences.
Naughton’s dangerous driving killed 83-year-old Eileen Epton, and resulted in her husband, Richard Epton, being ‘grievously injured’.
During a hearing held on October 2, 2023, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, jailed Naughton for eight years, and told him the length of his sentence means he must serve at least two-thirds in custody, which equates to a stint behind bars of at least five years, four months.
As he jailed 40-year-old Naughton, Judge Richardson told him: "I want to make it very clear - not only to you, but to others as well - that sentences for this form of criminality have massively increased as a result of a change in the law. Those who drive dangerously, in the way you did, will now receive substantial sentences.
"It must be remembered - you killed an elderly lady and seriously injured her husband. You did so because you drove dangerously on the roads of this city. Take him down."
Judge Richardson said it was important to note that the sentence passed ‘does not reflect the value of the life of Mrs Epton’.
The change in the law Judge Richardson referred to came into force on July 1, 2023, and means the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is now life imprisonment.
Describing the circumstances of the crash, Judge Richardson told the court: "You were driving far too fast, at almost twice the legal speed limit [of 30 miles per hour]. You were overtaking in an exceptionally dangerous manner.
"You overtook one vehicle, which was undoubtedly driving at the speed limit. You then sought to overtake another in exceptionally dangerous circumstances.
"The head-on collision occurred…you collided with a taxi. Mr and Mrs Epton were passengers in the rear."
In addition to having previous convictions for manslaughter and robbery, the court was told Naughton, of Manor Castle, Sheffield has also been dealt with by the courts for other driving matters, as well as drug offences.
He pleaded guilty to offences of causing death by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.
Taking Naughton’s mitigation into consideration, Judge Richardson said he believed the defendant to be ‘genuinely remorseful’ and had read letters submitted to the court by his mother and sister.
He also described the long delay in the case getting to court as being ‘unfair on everyone involved,’ adding that it provided Naughton with ‘mitigation to which you ordinarily would not have been entitled to’.
In addition to jailing Naughton for eight years, Judge Richardson also banned him from driving for 11 years, four months, comprised of a six year driving ban, with an extension of five years, four months to reflect the time he is likely to serve behind bars.
Following the death of Mrs Epton, tributes poured in for the beloved pensioner.
A taxi driver was punched in the face by an "aggressive" passenger who smashed his wing mirror.
According to the Gazette, the cabbie was driving the passenger home in Colchester when they became “very agitated and aggressive”.
The driver was punched in the face, verbally abused and had his wing mirror broken during the ugly incident at the weekend.
The fare reportedly refused to leave the taxi and so had to be taken back to the city centre where other cabbies could step in to help.
Dave Harris, chairman of Colchester Council’s licensing committee, called for tougher action against nightmare passengers.
He said: “The driver reported this incident to the police but sadly he has not had any feedback yet.
“Taxi drivers provide a much-needed service and do not deserve to be treated in this way when in public carrying out their job.
“The days of taking risks when working should be long gone and I condemn any actions against taxi drivers, health workers, bus drivers, police officers and others.”
“As licensing committee chairman I ask that stiffer investigation and action is taken to deter crimes against the taxi trade to ensure the safety of the drivers and their vehicles.
One Colchester cabbie, who has ferried passengers for 20 years, said he feels those working in the trade could be better supported.
Speaking anonymously, he said North Station Road has become a particularly troublesome spot for picking up fares at the weekend.
“It is supposed to be a non-drinking road but every time I drive through there you’ve got people drinking in groups,” he said.
“It has left me thinking ‘why the hell haven’t they put any enforcement down there?’.”
However, the taxi driver said incidents of passengers assaulting drivers and criminals damaging cabs have reduced since the start of this year.
In January, the Gazette reported there had been an “epidemic” of attacks which included windows being caved in and tyres being slashed.
Source: https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23833718.colchester-taxi-driver-assaulted-passenger/
A Torfaen private hire driver has been fined £100 for smoking in his vehicle.
According to Cwmbran Life, he paid the fixed penalty notice after the council’s licensing team received a complaint that he was smoking in his licensed private hire vehicle.
A council report into the licensing team’s work from April 2023 to the end of June 2023 said: “Under the Smoke-free Premises and Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2020 which came into force on the 1st March 2021, it is against the law to smoke in a vehicle that carries members of the public, therefore a vehicle licensed for either hackney carriage or private hire use is designated as a smoke-free premises.
"A licensed vehicle is a licensed vehicle at all times, irrespective as to whether or not the vehicle is being used for hackney carriage or private hire purposes.”
Source: https://www.cwmbranlife.co.uk/torfaen-taxi-driver-fined-100-for-smoking-in-vehicle/
Rotherham Council is inviting people to have their say on a consultation about proposed changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.
Rothbiz reports that the 2015 Casey report into Rotherham Council found that it had "weak and ineffective arrangements for taxi licensing which leave the public at risk" when it concluded that the authority "has not taken, and does not take, sufficient steps to ensure only fit and proper persons are permitted to hold a taxi licence."
That same year, a new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy was introduced by the council and it is widely regarded as a benchmark for other local authorities.
An updated policy came in during 2020 and several additional requirements were introduced, although the implementation of some measures has been delayed.
Now the policy is up for review, with the increase in out of town vehicles and sub-contracting being one focus.
The council acknowledges that, since the pandemic, the way that drivers are working has changed. Many choose to work for firms that have licences to operate in a number of different districts, such as Uber.
Local firms are also using drivers and vehicles licensed by other councils.
And with the more stringent regulations in Rotherham around the age of vehicles and emissions, it has been suggested that a local driver can save between £2,000 - £3,000 on the cost of a vehicle by opting for a licence elsewhere.
A report from Rotherham Council said: "The proliferation of out of town vehicles is concerning, not least because this activity undermines the standards that are set by the council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.
"In addition, members of the local trade are not working within a “level playing field” and are finding that drivers licensed elsewhere are benefiting from an unfair commercial advantage due to lower operational costs."
Additional conditions are proposed to be included within the revised policy. Private hire operators will need to inform the customer at the time of booking if it will be sub-contracted to another private hire operators.
Operators must also maintain records of each subcontracted booking and inspections / compliance visits will include a detailed assessment of any arrangements that are in place for the sub-contracting of bookings to other operators.
Other proposed changes relate to vehicle age and emissions, vehicle testing, vehicle signage, the driver application process, and more offences are to be added to the convictions that bar drivers from the job.
Cllr Denise Lelliott, Cabinet member Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “Rotherham taxis and private hire cars are strongly regulated, but we’re always striving to improve vehicle and customer safety.
"For us to be able to do this, we need to listen to your views and make any necessary changes that will further strengthen taxi licensing for customers, drivers and operators.”
All responses to the consultation will be considered before the policy goes back to Cabinet for approval later this year.
Chair of the Licensing Board, Cllr Sue Ellis, said: “The Council is a beacon for good practice nationally and it’s essential that we continue to lead the way when it comes to taxi safety.”
To take part in the consultation, click here: https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/consultation-feedback/say-taxi-private-hire-licensing-policy
Source: https://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2023/10/news-8300-rotherham-council-consults-on.html
Around 100 angry cabbies protested in Northampton town centre on the morning of Tuesday 3 October, against a controversial new set of taxi and private hire rules drafted by the council.
The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ACDU) has criticised West Northants Council’s (WNC) Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy 2023, which was set to be voted on by WNC.
The ACDU has strongly condemned what they describe as "reactionary, racist, and regressive" regulations.
WNC said it would issue a statement following the meeting.
In a last ditch attempt to get the council to listen, drivers who are members of the ACDU, met at Victoria Car Park at 11am and marched down the Drapery and protested at the steps of The Guildhall.
Many held signs saying, ‘Shame on West Northamptonshire Council’, ‘Stop Discriminatory Policies for Drivers’, and ‘Stop Racist Policies’.
The ACDU say that despite months of consultations and multiple in-person meetings, the council has ignored the substantial feedback provided by the ACDU and drivers.
The union’s chief concerns with the policy are as follows:
Shafqat Shah, Chair of ACDU Northampton said: "I am bitterly disappointed that the council has chosen to disregard the considered feedback of our union’s members working in the Northampton area trade.
"The council seem determined to miss a golden opportunity to introduce regulations that could raise service standards, improve safety and raise the living standards of local licensees long exploited in the trade.
"Instead, the council has indulged in populism to dream up an elaborately punitive and racist policy that will ultimately fail to deliver on its objectives for the public while rewarding big business.”
Speaking to Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Mr Shah added: “A lot of drivers are worried about this. There will be so many chances where a driver could lose his licence. We have a system in Northampton at the moment… it may need a bit of tweaking but we can do that together. We are very important.
"The council wants us to sell Northampton… they want us to be ambassadors for the town. We’re not going to be ambassadors at this rate if we’re going to be worried about losing our licences.
"Licensing are doing things on their own and not consulting us.”
At the meeting the new rules were put on hold after councillors failed to decide on them following a lengthy debate.
The meeting was adjourned after some councillors said no vote should take place until there had been proper consultation with the industry.
It ended without agreement and it is not known when the final decision will be made.
A local councillor has sparked a debate on passenger safety after claiming that using locally licensed taxis is safer than hailing an Uber.
A taxi driver was attacked and subjected to racist abuse after two brothers refused to pay him up front.
Christopher Hilling, 64, admitted to engaging a child in sexual activity at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 8 August.
Abdigani Ebrahim, 38, of Grangetown, admitted charges of affray and criminal damage following the incident in Northcote Street, Roath, last July.
The crackdown targeted drivers operating across council boundaries to ensure public safety and compliance with regulations.
Lucio Valentino relies on his six-year-old Border Collie, Pixel, to help manage his mental health conditions, including depression and personality disorders.
Taxi drivers across the Fylde Coast are set to receive a briefing note aimed at clearing up confusion over out-of-area private hire vehicles.
Police are appealing to find a taxi driver who may have "vital clues" about the murder of Ryan Passey seven years ago since he was fatally stabbed in a Stourbridge nightclub.
A joint operation by Hull City Council, Wolverhampton Council, and Humberside Police has uncovered a number of safety issues with taxis operating in the city.
French taxi drivers are calling for government compensation after suffering significant revenue losses during the Paris Olympics.
Coventry city centre has introduced a new taxi marshal service aimed at improving safety and efficiency for late-night revellers.
A court heard harrowing details of the moment a drink-driving uninsured motorist killed three people in a 90mph crash.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was amongst the thousands who enjoyed the Battle Proms at Highclere Castle on 3 August.
Swindon residents could be facing a hike in taxi fares from October after councillors gave the green light to a £1 increase in the standard fare minimum charge.
Ricky Harold, a 20-year veteran of the town’s taxi trade, was parked in a lay-by when his vehicle was struck from behind by a black Audi A2.
Chinese automotive giant Geely has deepened its commitment to the UK electric vehicle market with a £120m cash injection into London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC).
North Tyneside Council is facing a backlash over plans to increase taxi fares by 6.3%.
Nazim Asmal preyed on his victims after nights out in Preston and Darwen, driving them to secluded spots before carrying out horrific sexual assaults.
Newcastle is set to see a surge in pink taxis driven by women as part of a new initiative aimed at improving passenger safety.
An unlicensed taxi driver who picked up two vulnerable women in Aberdare has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 in fines and costs.