A 38-year old man who robbed a taxi driver in east Belfast was handed a five-and-a-half year sentence on Tuesday 16 January.
BelfastLive reports that Dean Martin William Brown appeared at Belfast Crown Court where he was sentenced by Judge Mark Reel.
Judge Reel told Brown he will serve half the sentence in prison with the remainder on licence when he is released from jail.
On January 21, 2023 a taxi picked up Brown and took him to Connswater Shopping Centre.
When the taxi arrived, the driver asked Brown for payment for the fare - and at this point Brown grabbed him by his jacket and punched him in the face.
Brown then threatened to stab the driver, although no weapon was produced or used, then headbutted him in the mouth.
Before fleeing the taxi, Brown removed coins from the car as well as the driver’s work phone and identification card.
Police were called and after the stolen mobile was traced, officers attended a property where they located an amount of coins along with the other two items stolen from the taxi.
Brown was arrested and during an interview, he gave a ‘no comment’ response to all questions asked by police.
With a criminal record consisting of 54 previous convictions, he later accepted his guilt to the robbery charge.
Judge Reel spoke of Brown’s “unsettled childhood” and mental health issues which have been effected by his drug misuse.
The Judge added that whilst Brown claims to have no recollection of the robbery due to his drink and drug intake, he has expressed feelings of regret and embarrassment for his actions.
Defence barrister Richard McConkey said that whilst this was a “serious offence”, his client now accepts he needs to make “very very significant changes in his outlook and lifestyle”.
Revealing Brown has undertaken several courses whilst on remand, Mr McConkey said Brown has realised drugs have blighted his life.
Noting the taxi driver sustained damage to four teeth due to the headbutt, Judge Reel spoke of the vulnerabilities of small businesses and lone workers such as taxi drivers.
He said: “They provide vital services and yet are easy, as this case demonstrates, to rob - and the only protection they have is from the sentences imposed upon people who rob them.”
Imposing the sentence of five years and six months, Judge Reel added: “This was a nasty and shocking offence carried out against a wholly blameless individual simply going about his day’s work.”
Source: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-taxi-driver-headbutted-nasty-28457479
A taxi driver was punched and racially abused as he waited outside a busy railway station in Warrington.
According to the Manchester Evening News, police say the 33-year-old man was assaulted while at work outside Warrington Bank Quay.
Officers were called out to reports of the cabbie being assaulted outside the station, on Parker Street, at around 10.39pm on Friday 12 January.
The driver did not have a passenger with him before the offender approached him.
A 36-year-old man from Newton-le-Willows has been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident. He has since been released on conditional bail.
Enquiries are ongoing and Cheshire Police is urging any witnesses, or anyone with video footage, to come forward.
PC Stephen Wolstenholme, of Warrington LPU, said: “This investigation is in its early stages and we’re doing all we can to establish exactly what has taken place.
"Initial enquiries suggest that this was a targeted incident, and as part of our investigation we’re keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident take place, along with anyone with any video or dashcam footage.
“Information can either be reported direct to us on 101, or alternatively if you don’t want to speak to an officer, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 24000060231.”
Anyone with any information can contact Cheshire Police online, or call 101, quoting 24000060231.
A long-running campaign to allow private hire drivers to get access to a bus lane heading out of Reading is moving a step closer to reality.
The Reading Chronicle reports that the outbound bus lane in King’s Road is currently used by buses, taxis, motorbikes and cyclists to get from the town centre to Cemetery Junction faster.
Private hire vehicles are not allowed to use the bus lane, even though they have been allowed to use the inbound King’s Road bus lane for years.
But now drivers’ dreams of getting access to the outbound bus lanes are coming closer to reality.
At a recent meeting, councillors discussed an informal consultation into changing the outbound bus lane to let private hire drivers use it.
Of the 1,221 who participated, 1,150 responded in support of the move, with 71 people objecting.
The Reading Private Hire Association (RPHA) was set up in 2022 in part to push for access.
Speaking at the meeting, Kamran Saddiq, the chairman of the RPHA said: “The bus lane is flowing freely. The inbound bus lane was given to us over 11 years ago it’s been absolutely going fine.
“Great credit to the buses, they are doing absolutely fantastic, we’ve never stepped in their way, we don’t intend to, we want that flow to continue.”
Mr Saddiq expressed frustration that ‘out-of-town’ drivers are incorrectly using the bus lane while Reading licensed private hire drivers are ‘stuck’ in regular traffic by sticking to the existing rules.
He clarified that ‘out-of-town’ drivers include both taxi and private hire drivers who are registered with other local authorities such as the New Forest and Fareham.
However, there were concerns about how the bus lane will be enforced.
Asif Rahid, the chairman of the Reading Taxi Association, who represents ‘hackney carriage’ drivers, said: “All the out-of-borough hackney carriages that use the bus lanes are easily identifiable.
“But one of the issues is that not all of the private hire vehicle licensed by the council have plates or have roof signs, they are executive vehicles, they look no different from a normal car.
“Joe-blogs sitting in that traffic will see that Mercedes and think ‘I have that car, I can use it’, the potential is there.
“From day one there needs to be enforcement.”
The inbound King’s Road bus lane had ‘authorised vehicles only’ signs installed in July 2019 to discourage out-of-town drivers from using them incorrectly.
Mr Rashid added that out-of-town drivers should have all access to bus lanes removed.
Meanwhile, Peter Seymour of the Reading Motorcycle Action Group expressed concerns that King’s Road was a “known blackspot” with a “rising tide of accidents” particularly at the entrance and exit of Reading College.
While councillors agreed that crashes in Kings Road are a serious issue, there was no evidence linking private hire vehicles with these incidents.
Councillors on the traffic management sub-committee unanimously agreed to launch a statutory consultation into the change at a meeting on Thursday, January 11.
Subject to that consultation, the council’s highways team will need to identify funding and make changes to signage to reflect the change.
A new policy targeting a loophole allowing unfit taxi drivers to re-apply for a licence has been approved.
According to Suffolk News, on 15 January members of East Suffolk’s licensing committee unanimously agreed to approve a policy which changed the council’s hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy.
The change happened after councillors were told of unfit taxi drivers who tried to exploit a loophole and attempted to get a new licence.
They heard, for instance, of a recent taxi driver who, after they had been found unfit to hold a licence, missed their deadline for an appeal and instead contacted the licensing team to apply again.
Cllr Jan Candy, cabinet member for community health, said: “It’s not a good use of time and resources to allow reapplications from applicants who have already been found to be unfit.”
Under the new policy, those who are found unfit will not be able to apply for another licence within 12 months of the decision, unless there are substantial and proven material circumstances to the applicant’s circumstances.
The council report also read: “In setting out its policy, the council seeks to promote the protection and safety of the public, safeguarding children and the vulnerable.”
A female taxi driver was “shaken and scared” after being attacked by a drunk passenger who refused to pay her fare.
The Daily Record reports that Holly Hart spat at the cabbie before dragging her out of the vehicle and punching her.
Hart, 38, from Wishaw, appeared from custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday 12 January.
She admitted assaulting the victim outside the Asda supermarket in Newmains on January 17, 2021.
Aga Mathieson, prosecuting, said the incident happened around 1am after an argument.
She told the court: “The accused said she wouldn’t pay.
“The driver was fearful and drove to Asda as the area was lit and there were other taxis around.
“She told Hart that she wouldn’t take her any further if she didn’t pay and the accused then spat in her direction before getting out.
“The driver pressed a panic button to alert her controller and tried to lock the doors.
“She was trying to speak to the controller when the accused grabbed her by the hair and pulled her out of the taxi, causing her to fall to the ground. Hart then punched her on the body.
“Shortly after this the police arrived and the accused was found nearby. The taxi driver was seen to be shaken and scared.”
Defence agent Stephen MacBride said Hart had been under the influence and remembered little about the assault.
The solicitor added: “There are no assaults on her record. This must have been a harrowing experience for the driver but, thankfully, no injury was sustained.”
Hart also admitted failing to turn up for the court case on two occasions.
She has been in custody since October 31 after being arrested for a non-appearance.
Sheriff Michael Higgins deferred sentence until next month for background reports and Hart was again remanded in custody.
Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/woman-taxi-driver-dragged-car-31882749
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.