SHAME SHAME
FORMER DEVON CABBIE WHO TRIED TO INCITE TEEN INTO SEXUAL ACT GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE
A Plymouth man who attempted to incite a teenager into a sexual act when she was a passenger in his taxi has been given a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Dale Purchase, 29, appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Monday December 4, after having been found guilty of harassment on Friday 3 November. Purchase was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and received a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.
Sergeant Tom Ottley of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We take the fear of violence against women and girls very seriously and work tire- lessly to ensure we are bringing people to justice while safeguarding victims. “Despite this case not being a typical incident of harassment, the importance of women and girls feeling safe in our society cannot,
and should not, be understated. “I would like to commend the victim for her engagement with our officers, who have been tenacious in their pursuit of justice. “The Sexual Harm Protection Order comes with a number of stringent prohibitions, which are aimed to prevent further offending and protect vulnerable people from harm. “This is further proof that Devon and Cornwall Police will use all available measures to safeguard our communities and protect the vulnerable.”
BURTON CABBIE STRIPPED OF LICENCE FOR FINANCIALLY GROOMING ELDERLY PASSENGER
A taxi driver who preyed on a vulnerable 70-year-old passenger and extorted thousands of pounds from her has had his licence stripped by a council, magistrates and a crown court judge. Tariq Mahmood, from Burton on Trent, appeared at Leicester Crown Court on 30 November after appealing a 2022 decision by North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) to remove his licence. The 50-year-old was reported to the council in 2022 for grooming a passenger, Lorna, and defrauding her of £5,000. NWLDC’s
Licensing Sub-
Committee agreed on 15 March 2022 to remove Mahmood’s licence, but this decision was appealed to Leicester Magistrates' Court and upheld.
26
Mahmood appealed again, taking the decision to crown court. Judges at the court heard that before NWLDC received a complaint from the passenger’s daughter, Mahmood had over nine years committed a large number of low-level offences including being banned from driving and road rage.
Mahmood befriended Lorna after she used his taxi and over six months accepted up to
23
payments from her totalling £5,000. Despite claiming to judges that the payments were loans, Mahmood could not demonstrate to NWLDC, magistrates or judges that he would be able to repay the money. Councillor Michael Wyatt, NWLDC Portfolio Holder for Communities
and Climate Change, said: “We are committed to
keeping the
travelling public safe, our continued defence of our 2022 decision to
remove a licence
because the danger the driver posed to the public is evidence of this. “Taxi drivers are trusted to make sure the vulnerable get home safely. Everybody will have an experience of going out at night, someone getting into a bad state, the call is always “put them in a taxi, get them home safe” – taxi drivers should be trusted to do that.” David Lawrie, Director of NPHTA said: “Shocking, another idiot trying to bring down our industry. Well done North West Leicestershire DC and of course the victim for coming forward.”
JANUARY 2024 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
