IN THE NEWS
BRISTOL CABBIE SEWS HIS MOUTH SHUT IN PROTEST AT ATTACK SENTENCE!! A taxi driver who lost his job after he was convicted of assaulting a female passenger has sewn his mouth closed in protest. Hassan Hoviat-Doust, 43, has been on hunger strike since his protest started on September 26. After- wards he was been pacing outside Bristol Magistrates’ Court making his case - silently.
female passenger about a fare on July 17 last year.
The female passenger is then said to have rung his taxi office to complain before Hovi- at-Doust then became abusive towards her. Prosecutors say he then assaulted her by stopping the taxi, tak- ing her out of the vehicle and leaving her on the floor and driving off.
He also put up ban- ners calling for justice because he claims the court did not consider his evidence at his trial in June this year. Hoviat-Doust was accused of assaulting a woman in July last year but pleaded not guilty to the charge. Prosecutors said that he had argued with a
Hoviat-Doust maintains that he asked her to leave his taxi because she was being abusive towards him.
He says she continued to call the control room so he went to her side and opened the door but she ignored him by turning away from him and continuing to speak on
Cab driver Hassan Hoviat- Doust has sewn his mouth shut
the phone. He claims that he tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to leave the taxi which she eventu- ally did.
But Hoviat-Doust was
convicted after trial at Magistrates’ Court on June 6 and was given an eight-week commu- nity order, a tagged curfew between 7pm and 7am and had to
pay £200 compensa- tion to his victim. The result of the conviction was the loss of his taxi licence which he says means he is unable to support his wife and 16-month-old child. His wife is also pregnant. Unable to speak due to the thick stitching through his lips Hovi- at-Doust, who wore a white mask over his disfigured mouth, wrote down what he wanted to say.
With scribbled notes Hoviat-Doust, of Bren- try, told the Bristol Evening Post: “I am a taxi driver who was wrongly convicted of common assault and I have lost my job. “I am here because none of my evidence was considered by the court even though it
was strong.”
He confirmed he had been convicted of common assault after being accused of assaulting a female passenger in what was a daytime incident. When asked why he has stitched his lips together he wrote: “If you have no right to speak, you have no right to defence.” He confirmed with nodding that he is appealing the decision of the court.
A spokeswoman for Bristol City Council confirmed that Hoviat- Doust’s licence had been suspended by the council in June fol- lowing his conviction. She added that Hovi- at-Doust has not appealed against the loss of his licence.
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