SHAME SHAME
LICHFIELD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER SPARED JAIL AFTER JUDGE COUNTS OUT FATAL 5-SECOND LAPSE
A private hire driver has narrowly avoided prison after hitting and killing a pedestrian on a Birming- ham ring road. Walter Burke, 63, was found guilty of causing death by
careless
driving following a trial that featured a dramatic courtroom demonstration of his failure to react.
The incident occurred early on October 21, 2023, Jasbir Singh, 59, walked into the middle of the A4540 Boulton Middleway. The court heard that Mr. Singh was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level twice the legal driving limit. While the road was wet, visibility was described as good, and other motorists had successfully steered around the pedestrian. Burke, driving a SEAT Toledo at approximately 30mph, did not slow down or move out of the way.
At Birmingham Crown Court on March 12, Judge Peter Cooke highlighted the length of time Burke had to react by count- ing aloud to five. “Just think
about being at the wheel of a car doing 30mph and not paying attention for one.... two... three... four... five. Is that momentary?” the judge asked. Prosecutors stated that while Burke’s brake lights flashed, he did not actually decelerate or take evasive action until after the impact. Burke later claimed he thought someone had thrown a brick at his car and did not realise he had hit a person. Joey Kwong for the defence,
argued that Burke was “deeply distressed” and has suffered significantly since the accident. “He expresses remorse and repeatedly states he is sorry. He maintains the collision was an accident,” Kwong said, noting that Burke has stopped driving and now struggles with his mental health. Judge Cooke described the case as a “hazard” created by the victim that required other drivers to “take proper care.” He stated there was “absolutely no excuse” for Burke’s failure to see Mr. Singh but decided to suspend the prison sentence by “the narrowest of margins.” Burke was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must also complete 240 hours of unpaid work and is banned from driving for five years.
HASTINGS CABBIE CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE SEXUAL ASSAULTS AGAINST PASSENGERS
A self-employed cabbie is facing a prison sentence after being found guilty of a series of “predatory” sexual offences against women in Hastings.
Abdulhamid Alammar, 34, from St Leonards, was convicted following a trial at Lewes Crown Court on March 6, in relation to a 2024 attack that came to
light during a
separate investigation. The court heard that on November 29, 2024, a woman in her 30s booked a cab to take her home from a friend’s house. Alammar picked her up but, instead of taking
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her to her destination, drove her to a secluded location where he sexually assaulted her. The offences were only discovered while police were investigating a separate sexual assault reported by another woman in April 2025. Alammar was already in custody for the April allegations when he was charged for the November incident. In a trial held in October 2025, he was convicted of sexual assault regarding the April case. Following his most recent trial, a jury found him guilty of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in
non-penetrative sexual activity for the November 2024 attack. He was cleared of false imprisonment. DC Christina Bales, of the Hastings Safe-guarding Investigation Unit, praised the survivors for their bravery,
stating: “These were
serious and predatory offences committed against women who should have felt safe. I would like to commend the victims for their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.” Alammar remains in custody and will be sentenced for all con- victions on a date yet to be fixed.
APRIL 2026 PHTM
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