IN THE NEWS
DUMBARTON TAXI DRIVER JAILED FOR CARRYING KNIVES AND BANNED FOR DRINK DRIVING GRANTED LICENCE
A serial offender has been given a taxi licence despite a string of motoring convictions and jail time for carrying knives. According to the Daily Record, John Hepburn, 51, was
granted the licence even though he has been banned from the road twice, including for being caught drunk behind the wheel. But he persuaded a licensing committee he should be
allowed to take members of the public in his car. Council leaders heard the dad had been locked up for four months after being caught with two blades and had also been convicted
of driving without a licence or insurance. Hepburn, from Dum- barton, defended his right to work as a taxi driver, claiming his life of crime was in the past.
Hepburn said: “The offences were a long
time ago and I’ve moved on. I just want to make a new life for myself, my wife and family. “This is my first attempt at getting a licence and I’m delighted. I knew with my previous convictions that it would be difficult. “I’m a lot older and wiser now and realise how stupid these things were at the time. Some of my children have medi- cal problems, so I want to help them. “When I was caught with the knives, I’d just been told that my brother had been murdered and I handed them to the police after I had heard that someone was in custody.” David Crawford was later jailed for life after pleading guilty to the murder. Councillors were read his list of con- victions which in- cluded one for driv- ing in Alexandria without a licence and insurance in March 2003. He was given a £100 fine. The following year, he was jailed for being in possession of the black hunting knife and kitchen knife.
In January 2005, Hepburn was fined £350 and banned from the road for driving under the influence of alcohol. On a separate occa- sion, he was fined £400 after he dam- aged a parked car
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before driving off. When police tracked him down, they found he was ban- ned from driving and uninsured. In March 2007, Hep- burn was fined £335 and again disquali- fied for driving with no insurance. And in March 2016, he was fined £100 for driving with a provisional licence without supervision. The former brickie was called to the licensing committee at West Dunbarton- shire Council in December before being granted his permit. A council spokes- woman said: “The licensing committee takes into account a range of details, including back- ground information, when determining any application for a licence.
“In this case, the application for a taxi licence was granted for one year.”
Mmmm… Rehabilita- tion is one thing; however – putting aside but not dis- counting lightly the knife offence – surely the driving offences alone would have been sufficient rea- son to refuse this person a taxi licence? The question “Would you let your wife, mother, grandmoth- er etc. travel alone in a taxi with this per- son?” comes into focus; hopefully he is will and truly rehabil- itated. – Ed.
FEBRUARY 2020
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