A cabbie has been jailed after he preyed on an "extremely drunk" female passenger by taking her back to his home and raping her.
ChronicleLive reports that in May 2017 Salih Kilickap had been entrusted by the victim's friend to take her from Newcastle City Centre, where she had been enjoying a night out, back to her address in South Tyneside.
But the 57-year-old brute took advantage of the "semi-comatose" woman's vulnerable state and instead consumed a Viagra tablet, took her to his house, where CCTV footage captured him picking her up from the floor outside his cab and taking her inside, prosecutors said.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Kilickap then stripped the victim and himself, as she had been sick on both their clothes, and raped her.
He then filmed her and took photos of her as she lay "passed out or asleep" in his bed.
Gavin Doig, prosecuting told the court: "[The victim] remembers being in a bar then her next recollection is waking up in a bed, which we now know was in the defendant's home. She had wet hair smelling of shampoo she didn't recognise, her clothes had been removed and were on a nearby radiator.
"She fled from the house. She realised she was being followed by an Asian male, this defendant, who was telling her he had a car. [The victim] found herself in the area of Newcastle College and the time was 3.30am.
"She was distressed and she spoke to three young men she came across."
The court heard that the men told Kilickap to leave, which he did, and waited with the woman while she got into a taxi to take her home. She called the police an hour later.
Kilickap was arrested the next day after and released on bail but left the country and headed to Germany, where he also held citizenship and has family.
Numerous unsuccessful attempts were made to have Kilickap extradited back to the UK but he was not returned until he was detained by authorities in Bulgaria in October last year.
Kilickap initially tried to claim that sex between the pair had been consensual but he later admitted one count of rape on the grounds that she was too highly intoxicated to give "informed consent".
He also admitted to taking Viagra on the night in question.
In a statement, the woman said she had been left blaming herself as she couldn't remember the attack, had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and had thought about self-harming.
She added: "I hope he [Kilickap] now understands what his actions have done and the damage he has caused because he felt like having sex with a drunk woman who was unable to tell him or say to him 'no'.
Locking him up for ten years, Judge Stephen Earl said: "You knew the condition she was in because of what happened in the taxi, you knew what state she was in when she was put into your taxi and you knew what state she was in when you arrived at your house as you had to pick her up off the floor.
"It's said by you that she made advances towards you. She did not give you her consent and she was not in a fit state to give you consent.
"The reality is you had the opportunity to prey on a vulnerable, single female in your taxi and take advantage of the circumstances such as they presented themselves to you.
"You were a man in your 50s preying on a young woman in his car. You are the person who, frankly, so many fathers will fear for there young daughters when they go out - men willing to prey on the vulnerable, often intoxicated, young females.
"Your story of taking her home to clean her up before taking her to hospital or a police station is simply nonsense considering you took an erectile dysfunction tablet to assist you having sex before arriving at your home with her."
Kilickap was also made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/monster-taxi-driver-took-extremely-26829870
LEVC begins a momentous new chapter in its history today, setting its direction for the next decade and beyond. The launch of its innovative new pure electric vehicle technology will provide the foundation of its transformation from a high-end taxi manufacturer, to a leading provider of e-mobility solutions.
With more than a century of ‘mobility’ in its DNA, LEVC has been focused on meeting the needs of society by transporting people around urban areas, in purpose-built vehicles, tracing its roots back to 1908. From the beginning, LEVC's vehicles have been designed with one core principle in mind: purpose-built solutions.
Building on this unrivalled heritage, LEVC’s new strategy will deliver smart, green, safe and accessible mobility for all, through a new range of state-of-the art electric vehicles, under its vision - “a sustainable mobility future, for a better world”.
Underlining this commitment, LEVC today unveils the foundation for a range of next-generation new products, its state-of-the-art new EV platform - Space Oriented Architecture (SOA). Co-developed with Geely Holding Group, SOA is modular and scaleable, the world’s first EV platform focused on setting new standards for onboard space, bringing interior-optimised zero-emission mobility to more consumers than ever before, while enabling LEVC to enter new sectors.
Developed over the past 2.5 years at R&D centres in China, Sweden, the UK and Germany, SOA’s unprecedented flexibility maximises interior space, offering multiple seating and load-carrying configurations. It can support a wide range of new products - from passenger carrying models, to commercial vehicles, offering significant advances in range, efficiency, safety, charging time, durability and connectivity.
Building on LEVC’s rapid growth, SOA marks a step-change in the expansion of its
product line-up – and will cement LEVC as a provider of advanced mobility solutions across the world. Sustainability lies at the heart of all of LEVC's products, while offering drivers, passengers and fleet operators purpose-built, sector-leading electric vehicles.
SOA - unprecedented optimisation of space whatever the application
As the world transitions to fully electric vehicles, there is rapid demand for new, mission-specific, zero emission transport solutions that are at home in the city and beyond, across multiple sectors.
With the interior experience more important than ever, the SOA platform will enable LEVC to meet - and exceed - the needs of global mobility customers, who have ever higher expectations for onboard comfort, cargo-carrying capability and accessibility.
With a centrally-located battery, SOA delivers a fully flat floor, maximising space for occupants, cargo, or both. To this truly flat floor, SOA optimises the packaging of electric powertrain components at the front, freeing up additional space for the driver and passenger.
At the rear, SOA utilises an innovative rear suspension design that incorporates extra carrying capacity underneath the main luggage area, behind the rear axle.
Setting new standards for access, with low step-in heights, SOA also raises the bar for interior flexibility, with multiple seating configurations and almost endless possibilites. Through innovative design, the platform maximises interior space to such an extent that an extra row of seats can fit into the vehicle, compared to other vehicles in the same class. Multiple configurations are then enabled by a fully flexible seat arrangement, with a sliding track that runs from the front to the rear of the architecture.
Supporting vehicle sizes from 4,860mm-5995mm in length and 1945mm-1998mm in width, with wheelbases from 3000mm-3800mm, SOA is configurable for a wide range of EVs, from spacious passenger-carrying models to cargo-optimised commercial applications. SOA can also offer
front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive layouts too.
State-of-the art fast-charging
Equipped with a wide choice of state-of-the-art batteries from 73kWh to 120kWh, SOA has been designed to suit the individual needs of a customer. By combining space with long ranges – of up to 695km – and ultra-fast charging, SOA maximises convenience, with minimal downtime.
Setting new standards for safety and comfort
SOA not only maximises passenger space, but its optimisation of front end packaging also delivers high performance crash structure and energy absorption, achieving five-star safety standards in Europe, and China. The platform also features a high-performance suspension design and high torsional stiffness for handling, comfort and refinement too.
The latest in electronic architecture for an enhanced occupant experience
As well as featuring a groundbreaking physical architecture, SOA also incorporates the very latest in standard-setting digital platform technology: L-OS. A new electronic architecture from chip to cloud, L-OS has been exclusively built for the future mobility space. With huge computing power, L-OS provides users with the ultimate experience, from autonomous capability to intelligent cockpits, forming a complete digital operating system.
L-OS technology means SOA-based vehicles are autonomous-capable, from Level 2 up to Level 4, bringing new levels of driver assistance to the market. L-OS also incorporates the latest in enhanced occupant experience through experts ECARX, using its advanced Antora intelligent computing platform to deliver the ultimate in intelligent, digital cockpits with high feature content and functionality.
Over-the-air (OTA) software updates allow SOA-based vehicles to always stay up to date, enhancing the user experience and constantly improving useability and efficiency.
SOA is also an open-source electric vehicle platform, available for partners outside of LEVC and Geely Holding Group to use as the basis for their future products. Synergies generated by the architecture are expected to reduce development costs at participating brands and to generate substantial savings on R&D costs.
Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, commented: “Today, LEVC enters the most exciting chapter in its history with the unveiling of our new innovative and highly flexible, space-focused, pure electric vehicle platform technology: Space Oriented Architecture.
“SOA optimises onboard space offering multiple configurations and endless possibilities, a new advanced EV platform which supports LEVC’s new strategy to become a leading zero-carbon mobility provider. Combined with our groundbreaking L-OS digital architecture, it will bring our new mission to life, delivering smart, green, safe and accessible mobility to all, enabling us to transform from a high-end taxi manufacturer, launching LEVC into new sectors, with an extended range of state-of-the-art pure electric vehicles.
“For LEVC, the concept of ‘mobility’ is not new. We have more than a century of ‘mobility’ in our DNA. The iconic vehicles this company has produced since 1908 may have changed over time, but the core principles have not: they have always been purpose-built for the city, focused on the best occupant experience. A spacious experience.
“Building on LEVC’s unrivalled heritage in producing the iconic London black cab, we are adapting our business to meet the rapidly accelerating demand for spacious, flexible electric vehicles. Our rich history is combined with the resources of the Geely organisation to set our brand on an exciting new path, as LEVC today launches an adaptable architecture for an adapting world. With the combined strength of our new strategy and SOA, we will bring advanced zero-emission transportation to more customers than ever before.”
A Lanarkshire thug has been jailed for 12 months for threatening a cabbie with a broken bottle after being told he’d have to walk home.
The Daily Record reports that Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that the cab had stopped after Ryan McMillan and his girlfriend began fighting in the back seats.
McMillan took exception to being asked to get out and made the driver hand back the £8 fare.
The 24-year-old, from Hamilton, admitted assaulting his partner and assaulting and robbing the driver.
Violence flared as they were being driven along the A725 near Blantyre on April 10, 2021.
Alice Carey, prosecuting, said the couple and another male and female were travelling from East Kilbride in the early hours of the morning and that McMillan’s partner “began an argument with [him] in the back of the taxi”.
She told the court: “She shouted and swore at him and brandished a bottle. On hearing the disturbance the driver pulled over to the side of the dual carriageway.
“The couple were now in a physical altercation. McMillan grabbed his partner by the hair and punched her repeatedly on the head.
“The other two persons in the back seats managed to split up the fight.
“[The driver] then asked them all to get out. McMillan became hostile, shouting, ‘give me my money back or you’ll get this bottle in you.’
“He again demanded money and called the driver a p***. [The driver] gave him £8 and all four passengers made off on foot in the direction of Blantyre.”
Defence agent Jackson Bateman admitted his client’s record is “poor” but said he has been in no trouble since this incident and is working.
Mr Bateman added: “He seems to have made significant changes for the better.”
However, Sheriff Colin Dunipace decided only a prison sentence was appropriate, telling McMillan: “This is your fifth appearance on indictment for matters relating to disorder or violence – at the age of 24, that’s an appalling record.”
Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/thug-jailed-after-threatening-taxi-29883464
A furious Sheffield private hire driver says his new electric vehicle is costing more than his old diesel car after Sheffield City Council hiked charging costs.
The Star reports that Shaib Zaman says the new rates, plus 80 minutes-a-day charging and range limitations on his Hyundai Ionic leave him with just £50 per shift, less than minimum wage.
And as soon as he pays it off he is going back to a diesel.
He said: “I’m really angry and frustrated at what’s happened. I purchased an electric car after the council announcement of going green but it’s been a massive mistake.
"If I earn £100, 20 per cent goes to City Taxis then £30 to charge the vehicle, which leaves £50 for 8/9 hour work. It’s ridiculous.
"I’m trying to pay it off as quickly as possible because the old one was cheaper.”
Mr Zaman says his diesel Mondeo would cost £80 to fill and do 500 miles. Now he has to recharge twice a day, costing £15 and taking 40 minutes each time, worth £25 in earnings.
The car’s range is 130 miles but that can fall by 10 miles if he has the heating on and a further five if its cold outside because the battery doesn’t work as well, he says. And it can’t do lucrative long distance airport jobs.
He lives in a flat in Woodseats so can’t have his own electric point and there are only a handful of council-owned chargers, although privately-run ones charge even more, he says.
He added: “I thought it was really cost effective but I didn’t do my homework on all the pros and cons. But I’m not alone, all the drivers I’m talking to with electric cars want to sell theirs.”
From April 1, the city council increased costs at its 20 charging points by more than double from 30p per kWh to 72p per kWh.
It also increased the ‘overstay’ charge from £10 after one hour, to £20, to ‘encourage drivers to free up the space for the next driver to come along’.
The authority said it was due to energy prices rising significantly. Drivers were encouraged to go electric after a Clean Air Zone covering the city centre was introduced in February charging older petrol and diesel taxis £15 a day.
Last month, Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Co-Chair of Transport, Regeneration & Climate Committee, said: “We’re proud to be supporting local people to make the transition to electric vehicles through our ever-growing EV charging infrastructure – which is one the of best things we can do to reduce harmful pollution from transport, making the air we all breathe cleaner and improving the health of local people.
“We know the rise in the charging point tariff may have a financial impact on some, and we’ve done our absolute best to sustain this low price for as long as possible. The council has absorbed much of the cost for keeping the tariffs low, however, with energy prices increasing, this simply isn’t sustainable moving forward.
“We’re also investing in making the existing network more resilient and will soon launch a further two rapid charging points and 46 fast charging points, to make it even easier for electric vehicle owners to access a charging point locally.”
A private hire driver has been found not guilty of attempted rape, but he has been convicted of sexual assault.
According to the Daily Echo, Mahdi Ferhane was on trial at Bournemouth Crown Court in relation to the incident involving a 17-year-old girl in the early hours of May 29 last year.
Prosecutors told the court the defendant took “advantage” of the teenager.
Returning verdicts on Wednesday, May 3, the jury acquitted Ferhane of attempted rape and found him unanimously guilty of the alternative charge of sexual assault.
The jury heard how the 38-year-old pulled up alongside the girl in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, and after a brief verbal exchange she got into the front seat of his car.
He then drove to a clifftop car park where the girl got behind the wheel. It was disputed whether the defendant told her to do this or if she had asked to drive the Volkswagen Touran.
After Ferhane returned to the driver’s seat he took the girl to a town centre flat he owned in St Peter’s Road and a short time later he gave her a massage while she was lying face down on a mattress.
The complainant said she went into the property to charge her phone after it had run out of battery.
Giving evidence during the trial, the girl said Ferhane “forced” her dress off while the defendant said she had started to take the dress off and he helped her remove it after asking if she needed assistance.
Ferhane then removed his clothing and started to give a body-to-body massage without asking the complainant if she was okay with this or wanted to do this.
The defendant, from Charminster, said he got an erection and ejaculated. He told police and the jury that he did not try to have sex with the girl.
Following this they both got dressed and the defendant took the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, back to her home.
He charged her £12 as a customer for this journey before going on to carry out a fare elsewhere.
The complainant told the jury it got to a point during the incident where she “completely froze” and did not say anything.
“I was just stuck with my head in the mattress,” she said.
The defendant told the court he believed the sexual activity that occurred was consensual.
The jury heard that Ferhane lied in both of his interviews with police.
He said on the first occasion this was because he was “scared, shocked and embarrassed” while during the second bout of questions his falsehoods were because “I am a married man and I did something really bad”.
When asked what he did that was “really bad”, he said: “I cheated on my wife.”
Prosecutor William Hughes KC said Ferhane was able to “take advantage” of the girl while she was in drink and vulnerable in his capacity as a taxi driver.
Ferhane, who was licensed as a private hire driver only by New Forest District Council, was remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing on Friday, June 2.
Source: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/23498832.taxi-driver-found-guilty-sexually-assaulting-girl/
A former paratrooper turned pet taxi driver is in the running for an Animal Star Award for his work in Wakefield and Pontefract.
Tariq Rehman, 75, from Stechford, had his licence removed by Solihull Council in November last year following a complaint from a passenger.
A taxi firm boss has branded the criminal justice system "broken" after new figures revealed almost a third of offenders in the town reoffended within a year.
Dramatic CCTV footage has captured the moment a hooded figure set a taxi alight on a residential driveway.
A Drongan taxi driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female passenger after offering to waive her fare in exchange for sex.
Artur Nowostawski has been jailed for six years and nine months after he attacked a taxi driver earlier this year.
Taxi drivers in the city are facing significant financial losses after a series of electric vehicle charging point failures left them unable to operate.
Police are appealing for help to trace a man who disappeared after getting into a taxi bound for the Otley area of Leeds.
The company’s operator licence includes a condition ordering all drivers to undergo the same training as those from other companies.
Police have stopped a private hire driver who was driving the wrong way on the M1 close to Junction 8 at Hemel Hempstead.
Newcastle City Council is set to introduce strict new measures to tackle illegal and inconsiderate parking near Newcastle International Airport.
West Mercia Police is appealing for information following a rape that took place in Malvern's Priory Park early on Sunday, August 4th.
Glasgow taxi users could be facing a near-10% fare increase and extended night-time charges.
At least 14 cars have been damaged since June, with drivers suffering financial loss and emotional distress.
The attack happened at around 12.45pm on Etruria Vale Road, Stoke, when the victim, driving a Toyota Avensis, was punched in the face by one of the men.
Cumberland Council has taken decisive action to protect public safety by revoking the licence of a taxi driver charged last week with a serious racially aggravated offence.
A historic bridge has been closed indefinitely after an Uber car became wedged on Saturday morning.
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.