A binge-drinking racist came on to a taxi driver – and then called police from the back of the cab to claim he was being kidnapped.
KentOnline reports that Edward Malone, from Deal, even got his penis out when officers were alerted to the situation after fearful cabbie Abdul Ghafoor flagged down a passing patrol car.
The 50-year-old, who had earlier binged on booze in Dover, initially got into the taxi late at night and asked to be taken home.
But Folkestone magistrates heard soon after getting into the cab, Malone started asking Mr Ghafoor sexual questions and even asked him to go back to his place.
But after being rebuffed by the cabbie, the drunken menace started racially abusing him and told him he shouldn’t be in Britain.
Describing the events of April 15 last year, prosecutor Victoria Aked told magistrates that Mr Ghafoor could see Malone was intoxicated. But he had decided to take the fare, asking for the cash up front before setting off.
The prosecutor said: “The taxi driver said he started asking him sexual questions and suggested he go back to his house [with him] and then asked where he was from and said: ‘You’re not even British – you’re foreign. You should not be here.’”
She added that when the cabbie drove up Jubilee Way out of the town, Malone called 999 and started telling police call centre staff he was being kidnapped.
At this point, Mr Ghafoor flashed his lights at a police car for help.
Officers stopped and spoke to Malone but he refused to get out of the cab and started abusing one officer, an acting police sergeant.
Ms Aked said when officers did get Malone out of the vehicle he started taking his penis out of his trousers to urinate, but was told he would have to wait until he got to custody.
Ms Aked said: “He was mouthy and made racial and disparaging remarks and during interview admitted he was out of control and had made unpleasant remarks.
“He has a previous conviction for assault in 2018 when he was asked to leave [somewhere else], but refused and he called officers queer. There was an assault on police – he urinated towards police.”
The court heard how a week before the incident, Malone had been arrested by British Transport Police following an incident at Ramsgate railway station after another drinking session.
Malone later admitted with two counts of racially aggravated harassment, trespassing on the railway and criminal damage.
The bench was told the taxi driver had given a victim impact statement after his ordeal.
He said he had been a cabbie for about ten years and that he had been upset to be told to go back to his own country as he had lived here for 14 years and considered Britain to be his country.
Nigel Numas, defending, said his client’s brain had been scrambled by the booze.
He added: “He had fallen into his old ways into the crutch of alcohol. He is deeply remorseful and said so in interview."
Magistrates said they were uplifting the offence from a low-level community order to a suspended sentence because of the racial and homophobic elements of Malone’s abuse.
They jailed him for six weeks for the abuse and criminal damage offences but suspended the term for 18 months.
Malone was also placed on an 18-month community order which will see him complete an alcohol treatment requirement for nine months and attend 35 rehabilitation sessions with probation.
He was also ordered to pay Mr Ghafoor and the police officer £100 compensation each, as well as paying £200 to Southeastern for a broken window.
Malone received no separate penalty for the trespass on the railway offence and told magistrates he would pay what he owed the court within 28 days.
Terraced streets in Bradford could soon get EV charging points thanks to a “game changing” pilot involving BT.
The Telegraph and Argus reports that earlier this year, the telecoms giant revealed plans to alter some of their on-street cabinets to create charging points.
It was seen as a possible breakthrough in providing charging infrastructure in areas without off-street parking spaces – such as terraced streets.
A Bradford Council committee has been told the authority was taking part in BT’s pilot scheme to see how effective these new on-street charging points could be.
The scheme was discussed by members of the Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee last week, where members were told the scheme could lead to charging points in more of Bradford’s inner city areas.
But one councillor questioned whether one charging point on a terraced street that could be home to hundreds of families would make much of a difference in the switch to electric.
The committee received a report on environmental sustainability work taking place in the district.
The report included data from CAZ cameras that showed roughly 7,000 EVs pass through the zone every day.
And third party data has found that Ilkley has one of the highest concentrations of electric vehicle ownership in the UK.
Late last year, the council launched the EV Taxi programme – funded through CAZ income, providing grants of up to £10,000 for the purchase or two-year lease of an electric taxi.
A total of 450 applications for support have been made by taxi drivers so far.
Concerns have previously been raised in Bradford that the city’s terraced streets were not necessarily compatible with electric car charging.
The report says the BT pilot could be one way to tackle this issue.
It says: “The council recognises that EV charging in the district requires more than public funding to cater for the energy demand required to support the transition to zero emission vehicles and is actively seeking wider opportunities with the private sector to accelerate provision of EV Charging infrastructure.
“The council is participating in a nil-cost pilot with the BT Group to explore use of BT’s on-street points of power (DSLAM boxes) to build an accessible public charging network.
“At this initial pilot stage, BT will provide installation of up to five public EV charge points, subject to necessary permissions, for the pilot evaluation period.”
At the meeting Andrew Whittles, assistant director for sustainability, said: “The project could be a game changer.
“BT has those green boxes that you see at the end of your street. They are upgrading a number in Bradford that will see an electricity cable run from them, underneath the pavement to create a new charging space there.
“That means we could soon have a charging post on every terraced street in Bradford. This would help encourage more people in Bradford to get electric vehicles.”
Councillor Debbie Davies (Cons, Baildon) said: “The report says Ilkley has the highest proportion of electric cars. It is one of the wealthiest parts of the district. Unless the price of these cars comes down most people won’t be able to afford them.”
Mr Whittles pointed out that there are more second-hand cars becoming available.
“Last year people were telling me taxi drivers won’t bite – then we had 450 taxi drivers apply for grants in just a few days,” he said.
Councillor Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem, Bradford Moor) said: “The street I live on has 100 houses. If you have one charging point, it is not enough.
“The high levels of EVs in Ilkley are due to the income levels there.
“The housing stock in areas of Bradford is mostly terraced or back to back. If people live in inner city areas will they have access to charging?”
Mr Whittles said: “If all new vehicles are eventually going to be electric then we have to look at whether the council is the right organisation to provide charging points to all these people. Planning policies can encourage new infrastructure.
“We hear from some taxi drivers that they don’t have off-street charging. Some just go to a charging bay at Tesco or somewhere like that for an hour and get enough charge for the next two days.”
Source: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/24094435.ev-charging-pilot-game-changer-bradford/
A taxi driver using the online moniker "Angry Trump" has been jailed after cooking up half a tonne of drugs with the help of a "sous chef".
ChronicleLive reports that Colin Hindmarsh (left) made his "dream" come true by manufacturing huge amounts of amphetamine then distributing it through an underworld network.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that the conspiracy was rumbled in 2020 after police infiltrated the EncroChat messaging platform, which organised crime groups thought they could communicate on securely.
Hindmarsh was using the name "Angry Trump" while trusted lieutenant Robert Taylor was known as "Angry Bob" and "Venom Bat".
Now Hindmarsh, 33, from North Kenton, Newcastle has been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for conspiracy to supply amphetamine and cannabis.
Taylor, 53, from Wallsend, who turned up to buy a Porsche with drugs cash, later fled the country to Spain before his trial and he remains on the run. He was also given a prison sentence in his absence.
Richard Holland, prosecuting, told the court: "Colin Hindmarsh played a leading role in the conspiracy to supply amphetamine. He was the producer of the amphetamine product, which he appeared to be “cooking up” himself, with the assistance of an unidentified “sous chef”.
"He had extensive knowledge of two methods to produce amphetamine and was keen to obtain knowledge from (another dealer's) network of how to synthesise."
In one message, he said "onto something huge here, this has been my dream for three years. I thought only way was going to learn off chemist in Amsterdam or loads more reading."
Mr Holland said: "He was aware of and able to source, the key adulterants and chemicals required. He was already an established producer and supplier of amphetamine in his own right by 29 March 2020.
"He directed Robert Taylor to pick up, store and deliver ingredients and drugs as required."
The court heard Hindmarsh produced 482 kilos of amphetamine, worth up to £241,000 and had plans to produce a further 260 kilos, worth up to £130,000 with another person.
Mr Holland added: "Robert Taylor’s role was lower down the chain but still important. He appears to have been a trusted lieutenant of Colin Hindmarsh. He was no mere one-off courier.
"Whilst he was a driver for the drugs, money and ingredients, he was also a warehouseman. He also had a clear understanding of the scale of the operation as he was able to provide updates to Colin Hindmarsh as to stock."
The court heard Taylor was paid at least £1,300 a month and perhaps more for individual jobs and at one point appears to have been bought a car.
Mr Holland said: "In summary, this was a sophisticated and well-developed conspiracy with Colin Hindmarsh right at the top of the chain of amphetamine supply. It led to the production of industrial quantities of amphetamine for commercial supply by Colin Hindmarsh to those in (another person's) network, as well as his own customer base.
"Robert Taylor played his part well, delivering and storing drugs and ingredients with dedication and professional commitment to Colin Hindmarsh’s directions, and keeping a keen eye on stock levels and mediating when Colin Hindmarsh and (someone else) fell out. For these roles he was well rewarded."
While Hindmarsh’s main business interest was the production and supply of amphetamine, he also was involved in the commercial supply of wholesale quantities of cannabis..
Mr Holland said: "He was keen to take advantage of the demand caused by the Covid lockdown."
Hindmarsh, 33, who has two previous convictions, including for wounding, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply amphetamine and cannabis. He was jailed for nine years.
Taylor, who has 47 previous convictions, was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to supply amphetamine and cannabis, converting criminal property and possessing cocaine and cannabis. He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years.
The court heard Hindmarsh benefitted from his offending to the tune of £226,425 but has no available assets and was ordered to pay back a nominal figure of £1.
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/kenton-taxi-driver-known-angry-28560884
Police found a car where wallpaper and brown parcel tape had been used to cover crash damage during a Bradford police operation.
The Telegraph and Argus reports that the silver Toyota Yarris had sustained damage to one of its passenger doors the previous day.
The Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) prohibited the vehicle from being driven.
The driver was also reported for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition and having a bald tyre.
The Operation Steerside Team were working with Bradford Council's Taxi Licensing and Enforcement Department along with the DVSA on Saturday night, 3 February.
During the operation, one driver was arrested on suspicion of drug driving after failing a roadside test.
A post on the Operation Steerside Team's X account added: "Tonight (Saturday, February 3) we've been working with our partners from the Council's Taxi Licensing and Enforcement Department and @DVSAEnforcement checking that vehicles were safe and roadworthy.
"Various Private Hire Vehicles and other vehicles were taken off the road after being inspected and defects being found.
"Other drivers were dealt with for traffic offences such as failing to wear seatbelts, using mobile phones while driving and driving without insurance."
West Yorkshire Police's Operation Steerside Team has been dedicated to tackling dangerous and anti-social driving in Bradford since 2016.
Elite, Liverpool, and Seven Call Back Cars, Wirral, join forces to offer their customers a better service and promote the great values that both companies enjoy.
Rev’d Paul Newbery, who has been in and out of the industry for over 30 years, launched Elite in January 2022. However, being a new player in a crowded marketplace, where there were already a number of very large firms and many small and single operators it's not been an easy ride.
But where there's a will there's always a way! Paul with his vast experience and forward thinking approach worked hard to build their basic trade in Sefton on a corporate level.
By networking as well as working with a number of aggregators, especially CMAC; and by utilising the powerful iCabbi dispatch syste provided by Excel Technology Group, the firm has grown at a rapid rate!
Paul said: "We have the ability to find a solution to our passenger needs with an amazing team of drivers who have made it all possible.
"For us we believe that our drivers are they key to making the business work.
"Elite by name and Elite by nature - in fact Elite has never been just a name it's been our ethos.
"Elite simply means – Excellence Lives In The Everyday! "
After recently meeting Patsy Caran, owner of long established Wirral firm Sevens Callback Cars, they both realised that their companies had the same ethos - they both believed in looking after their drivers and putting their customers first.
Sevens have been operating for a long time on the Wirral and have fought off buyout offers from many larger companies.
However, Patsy never wanted to be swallowed up by a larger company. She still wanted to provide the same great service that she always and so had made the difficult decision to cut down the firms operating hours.
After lots of discussions and exploring system options the two firms made the decision to join forces.
By syncing their bookings via the iCabbi dispatch system, Sevens now has ability to welcome old and new passengers 24/7 using many different booking options.
The existing customers who love to talk to a person are well looked after, whilst new customers can now book via the passenger app.
Paul explained: "Sevens Callback Cars has great loyal drivers who all work so hard to support the business that the decision to link up was a no-brainer.
"We are maintaining our individuality whilst working together to ensure all of our customers are being picked up.
"Our passengers can be picked up by either fleet of drivers and they can be assured of the great service they have always been used to.
"So the 1st February 2024 was our day! We celebrated with an open day in the office for both new and existing drivers to pop in.
"We were also able to double-check on any issues with zoning and dispatch flows to maximise and ensure our joint success."
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.