FIT AND PROPER


REPEAT JARROW DRINK DRIVER LICENCE REFUSAL UPHELD


A drink-driving former cabbie has had his appeal for a new taxi licence thrown out of court. David Hope, from Jarrow, lost his licence for a third time after a booze-fuelled police chase in North Shields in December 2006.


The 60-year-old was found to be almost three times over the drink-drive limit when a traffic officer finally caught up with him. He was banned from driving for two years, and applied to the bor- ough council in January last year for another taxi licence. According to Taxi Driv-


er Online, the applic- ation was refused on the grounds he was not a fit and proper person. The decision took into account two other drink-driving convictions. Hope was at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court last month to appeal. Angus Taylor, prose- cuting on behalf of the council, read from leg- islation that said the authority must not grant any taxi driving licences to people who are not deemed fit and proper, a criteria which includes any- one with convictions for drink driving. The court heard Hope


had been granted a taxi licence twice before – first in 1996, despite a drink-driving conviction from ten years earlier, and again in 2001, by which time he had a second drink-driving conviction. Mr Taylor added that when he received his second and third con- victions, he did not report the offences to the council. He also said in his most recent application that he failed to disclose the conviction from 1986. Magistrates upheld the council’s decision and ordered Hope to pay £250 court costs.


NELSON TAXI DRIVER JAILED FOR LYING ON OATH


A taxi driver who delib- erately lied on oath in Crown Court to try and keep his driving licence has been jailed for eight months. According to the Burn- ley Leader,


Burnley


Crown Court heard how Zaheer Shah had faced disqualification after being convicted, in his absence, of speeding. He then appealed against the conviction and ban at Preston Crown Court, saying that he had not been at the wheel and had never been a cab- bie.


But the police officers who had stopped him were still in court and he had shown them a taxi licence as identifi- cation. Prosecutors were alerted, he land-


ed in far deeper trou- ble and he was later brought back before the courts.


Shah, 27, from Nelson, was last month con- victed of perjury by a jury after a trial. He denied the allegation. The Burnley hearing had been told how in the early hours of Octo- ber, 2009, the def- endant was stopped for speeding in Pre- ston. He gave his name, date of birth and address and produced a cab licence for ID. A fixed penalty notice was issued, it was not accepted and a sum- mons in the defendant’s name was issued. Shah did not attend court in response to it.


The defendant was


convicted, in his absence, of speeding and because he already had eight points on his licence and was given six more points, he was disqualified under the totting up procedure. In September last year, Shah attended an appeal hearing. On oath, he claimed he had not been the driv- er, was not a cabbie and never had been. Sentencing, Recorder Dennis Watson told Shah that lying to a Crown Court on oath was very serious indeed. He said: “If I imposed a suspended sentence, it would send out the message that it was entirely OK to lie to the court on oath.”


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Just click PAGE 56 PHTM JULY 2011 DUBLIN MAN FINED €200 OVER TAXI LICENCE RENEWAL


Former president of the Irish Taxi Council and spokesman for Tiomanaí Tacsaí na hÉireann Frank Byrne, who pleaded guilty last month for failure to renew his taxi licence, has said he withheld payment as part of a protest, writes Fiona Gartland. According to the Irish Times, Mr Byrne said he informed Taxi Reg-


ulator Kathleen Doyle and then minister for transport Noel Dempsey in January 2010 that he and other members of its execu- tive would not be paying for the renewal of licences in protest at a sharp increase in their cost. The charge for a five-year renewal had gone up from €15 to €250.


Mr Byrne was stopped


‘ABUSIVE’ DURHAM CABBIE’S LICENCE REVOKED


A taxi driver who was the subject of a cata- logue of complaints from passengers and fellow cabbies lost an appeal against having his licence revoked. Jason Craggs was accused of swearing at passengers, refus- ing to take them on short journeys, driving too fast and assaulting fellow cabbie Peter Crossling.


And magistrates upheld a decision by Durham County Coun- cil’s licensing com- mittee to remove Crag- gs’ licence to ply his trade in Durham City after hearing evidence from another driver and a police officer. According to the New- castle upon Tyne Sunday Sun, council bosses had logged 17 complaints about the taxi driver over the years, including one of Craggs failing to stop at a zebra crossing, one of alleged road rage and one of him refusing to take a pas-


senger to the railway station.


Mr Crossling told the hearing how a furious Craggs had made head-to-head contact with him following a row at a rank.


The row erupted after Craggs allegedly refused to take a woman passenger to the Durham Students Union building telling her it was just as quick to walk.


When Mr Crossling remonstrated with Craggs he “leaned into his cab and his head connected with mine,” he told the hearing. Mr Crossling said he was “verbally and physically abused, intimidated and threat- ened.”


PC Kay Howarth told the hearing that Crag- gs “appeared to have a blatant disregard for the traffic law.”


She said Durham County Council had received complaints from passengers about him driving too fast


and being abusive. But Paul Donogue, representing Craggs, argued that some customers “com- plained because they enjoyed complaining, they are Victor Mel- drew types.”


He said Craggs had only received three penalty points in 16 years on the road. Craggs, from Stanley, County Durham, told the court he believed Mr Crossling had “behaved unprofes- sionally” by remon- strating with him on the rank.


But Richard Langdon, on behalf of Durham County Council, said: “Durham is a tourist destination and when people come to visit they do not expect to receive a tirade of abuse from a taxi driv- er.” Following a 20 minute recess magistrates upheld the council’s decision. Craggs was also ordered to pay costs.


by a taxi enforcement officer on February 2nd this year at Dublin airport. His vehicle licence had been out of date since May 2010.


In the Dublin District Court, Mr Byrne plead- ed guilty to failing to renew his licence. Judge Olann Kelleher fined him €200 and €500 in costs.


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