IN THE
NEWS...IN THE NEWS..
PH DRIVER WHO SHOULD HAVE SELF-ISOLATED BUT CONTINUED TO WORK HAS LICENCE REVOKED
A PHV driver who should have been self-isolating but instead went to work less than two days after return- ing from Pakistan has had his licence revoked. According to the Manchester Evening News, the driver, who operated in the Bury area, completed 12 rides in less than six hours. The father-of-five, who lives in Bolton, was later visited by police and issued with a fixed penalty notice for break- ing coronavirus regulations. Bury Council’s licensing and safety panel heard that on October 16, a complaint was made to the deputy licensing officer that the driver had returned from Pakistan on October 13. The driver had returned to work as a private hire driver when he should be self-isolating for 14 days due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. A report to the panel, said: “The offi- cer phoned and asked him whether he was working, he replied ‘no’.
“She asked if he was aware that he should be self-isolating for 14 days, he replied that he was aware. “The officer then contacted this client’s operator, who confirmed that the driver had worked on October 15 and provided booking records to show that he completed 12 jobs between 5pm and 10.30pm. “She called again and asked him why he had just lied when asked whether he had been working. He replied that he had a negative test so he could go back to work. “The officer advised him that a nega- tive test made no difference to the fact that he must be self-isolating and that as well as obstructing an officer he had also put members of the pub- lic at risk.” After a report was made to the police, an officer from GMP Bolton’s Covid unit informed the driver that he would be served with a fixed penalty. The driver stated at the licensing
meeting that it was a misunderstand- ing on his part. When he told the licensing officer he was not working, he thought she had meant at that point in time therefore he had answered no. He also explained that he was a father to five children, one of which was dis- abled and his children and wife relied on him to provide for them and pay the mortgage. The driver stated he had checked when he was in Pakistan and had been told he would need a test which he had done. The result came back negative. He said he wasn’t aware he also had to self-isolate upon his return. The panel suspended the PHV driver, who is not named in public docu- ments, for a period of six months with immediate effect. The panel found that he ‘was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence in Bury’ and that he ‘did not realise the
CABBIE WHO KILLED GRANDAD IN FRONT OF TWO GRANDCHILDREN, DURING READING CRASH IS SPARED JAIL
A PHV driver has been spared jail after he sadly killed a man in front of his two grandchildren in a “momentary lapse of judgement.” The Mirror reports that on 2 December 2019, Oritseweyinmi Pessu, 72 was driv- ing three passengers - Narendra Dang and his grandchildren - on Henley Road, Reading, when he attempted to overtake a Thames Travel bus. Prosecuting, Christopher Hewertson, said: “Very sadly, it fell a lack of spatial awareness at that time. “The Mercedes saloon was intent on overtaking but there was insufficient time. It was twilight and the children were in the back of the car.” Having admitted causing death by
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careless and inconsiderate driving, Pessu was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday 14 December. Sentencing him, Judge Paul Dugdale called the case “tragic.” He said: “It may be that he simply got the distance wrong, he was not in a rush; he was not speeding; he was not dis- tracted and he was not on the phone, he just made an error in judgement. “He was driving at 20mph when he drove into the back of the bus. Mr Dang was in the back seat and he was pro- pelled forward into the rear of the passenger seat and instantly caused a fatal injury to his head.” Christopher Martin, defending, said: “Mr Pessu has and continues to demon-
strate the most genuine remorse for the tragedy. While it is absolutely accepted that it is the family of Mr Dang that suffered the most as a con- sequence, it is right to say that Mr Pessu has genuinely suffered some psychological harm also. “He will now see out the remainder of his days with the consequences of his actions.” Tragically, the victim’s wife of 38 years died a month ago following her grief. Pessu, from Wembley, north London, was sentenced to a 12-month commu- nity order, 120 hours of unpaid work, disqualified from driving for 18 months and he will be subject to an extended driving qualification.
JANUARY 2021
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