IN THE NEWS
BURGLAR JAILED AFTER SUNDERLAND TAXI FIRM HELPED POLICE WHEN HE BOOKED A CAB TO FLEE HOUSE RAID
Station Taxis has been praised by police after the firm helped to trace a burglar who booked a cab to leave the scene of a crime. Jason Taylor raided a Sunderland city centre home in the middle of the night and stole various items including an electric saw, a Blu-Ray player and a hover-board while the occupants were asleep upstairs. The 32-year-old stashed the items in his rucksack, carrying the hover-board under his arm then phoned Station Taxis and booked a cab home.
Station Taxis worked with police to trace the burglar to his phone after CCTV was found. Taylor, from Sunder- land, admitted burglary and was jailed for two-and-a-half years on 14 June. DC Harry Atanasov said: “This was a fantastic outcome as we worked with Station Taxis to irrefutably prove Taylor was responsible for the burglary.” Sergeant Maria Ord, part of the city centre neighbourhood team, added: “We have a fantastic relationship with our taxi firms and deliver regular vulnerability training for drivers on how
best to identify and safeguard vulnera- ble people in our night-time economy. “They play a hugely important role in helping us to protect the public – and also ensuring criminals are swiftly iden- tified and located, as in this case.” Station Taxis director Jimmy Usher said: “Our drivers and staff are embedded into the fabric of our local community and have a unique perspective of what’s happening in the city. They often come across difficult situations of concern, which is why the safe- guarding training has been invaluable.”
27 MONTHS’ JAIL FOR LINCOLN CABBIE WHO FELL ASLEEP AT WHEEL AND HIT PEDESTRIAN
A cabbie had been driving for 21 hours and fell asleep at the wheel when she hit a mum walking with her daughter. According to the Nottingham Post, Lisa Mason’s taxi came off the road and ploughed into her from behind on the A614/Bawtry Road, near Bircotes, on August 23 last year. Nottingham Crown Court heard that the mother and daughter encountered Mason, 42, from Willingham, Lincoln. The daughter witnessed her mother “flying through the air”, said Steven Taylor, prosecuting, having been hit by a vehicle. “The defendant’s vehicle didn’t stop, having mounted the pavement and grass verge, it drove off after the collision.” Found at the scene was a magnetic car badge which displayed the taxi compa- ny logo, based in Lincoln, and “04” under the logo which corresponded with the taxi Mason was driving on the morning in question. Mason worked for the company on a self-employed basis. She had a pick-up that morning. Messages on her phone showed her boss had asked if she would go to Doncaster Airport for a
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customer that wanted to go back to Lincoln. Mason had replied “no, as I’ll fall asleep at
the wheel. If I’d had some sleep, I would, but I haven’t. I don’t trust myself”. “He said ‘do it for me and I will give you a day off tomorrow and Monday’ and she replied ‘okay’ and she indicated to him she would sleep in a lay-by until 8.30am. The accident was around 6.30am. “Whether she was on her way directly to the airport or heading to some place where she was planning to rest a while,” said Mr Taylor. “She was travel- ling with a view to pick up passengers from the airport at Doncaster. “In a prepared statement she had indi- cated that she had not felt tired. She thought she’d had a blackout. She now accepts she must have fallen asleep at the wheel. The messages suggest that would have been the case”.
The victim of the accident suffered two broken legs. Surgical intervention involved a pin inserted in one limb and a plate in the other. She was kept in hospital for three weeks and then discharged. Her victim impact statement revealed she had to use a wheelchair when she left hospital. She requires constant care from her partner and daughter. She is unable to walk more than 100 yards due to the pain. She added: “Never did I imagine I would be reliant on a walking aid or a wheelchair at the age of 56.” Mason, represented by Chris Jeyes, said she was sorry for what she did and the affect on the victim. Had she been aware of what happened, she would have stopped and lent assistance. She handed in her taxi licence immediately and she no longer wishes to drive. Judge Stuart Raafferty QC sentenced her to 27 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She will serve half before she can be released on licence.
A driving ban was imposed for two years after she is released.
JULY 2021
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