UNJUST DESERTS
BRISTOL DRIVER WHO “LOST IT” AND RAMMED HIS CAR INTO TAXI BANNED FOR 18 MONTHS
A dangerous driver who “lost it” in a Bristol street when he repeatedly rammed his car into a taxi has been spared immediate jail. Wassell, 34, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and appeared at Bristol Crown Court for sentencing on October 17. Judge James Patrick handed him a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. He told Wassell he had committed “a bad piece of driving” which “richly deserved” a custodial sentence - but the thing that
spared him was how long the case had taken to come to court. The judge said: “Whatever had been going on, what you did was simply shocking. Bluntly, you lost it.” Judge Patrick also disqualified him from driving for 18 months. Wassell must wear an electronic tag for three months and observe a curfew between 6pm and 6am. He will be required to pass an extended driving test once his suspension is complete in March 2024. Caitlin Evans, prosecuting, said the taxi picked up five passengers
around 9pm on October 13, 2020, before dropping them nearby. She said the taxi driver was called to pick up the passengers again 100 metres down the road, before Wassell drove his Ford Focus into the taxi in an attempt to hit someone near the car, causing it to veer diagonally into the road. Wassell then drove “repeatedly” into the Volkswagen Caddy taxi, “destroying” its front bumper and causing its airbags to deploy. No harm was caused to the taxi driver or anyone else at the scene.
£200 FINE FOR WARRINGTON WOMAN WHO RACIALLY ABUSED TURKISH PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER
A drunken mother who hurled vile racist abuse at a Turkish cabbie in front of three children, has been fined £200. Joanna Brophy, 32, told Ozkan Koc: “You do not belong in this country”, after he dropped her off at her home in Warrington, at 1am following a house party on June 4. The mother was the only adult in charge of her two daughters, aged seven and five, and an 11-year-old family friend, but was instead arrested after her vile abuse. Mr Koc, 40, called police after he thought that Brophy was going to strike him during her foul rant. After officers arrested her at the property, she was left in the cells to sober up. At Warrington Magistrates’ Court, Brophy pleaded guilty to racially aggravated embarrassment and being drunk in charge of a child.
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On top of a £200 fine she was also ordered to pay £100 to Mr Koc. Prosecutor Laura Simpson said: “The defendant got a taxi to her home address and the taxi driver said he could tell she was drunk. “When they arrived, she was abusive to the cabbie. She said: ‘You stupid d***head. You do not belong in this country’, and ‘You f***ing coloured t**t.’ “She then approached the driver’s door. The window was open, she raised her arm and the victim thought she was going to strike him. “As a result, he closed the window and called the police.
Mrs Simpson said that in a police interview, Brophy could not recall
what she had said to Mr Koc. “She remembered asking him which country he came from and was really sorry for any racist remarks,” the prosecutor added. Brophy was also ordered to pay £215 in costs and victim surcharge, and attend 25 days rehabilitation activity as part of a 12-month community order. Chairman of the bench Alf Bean told her: “To come before the court having behaved this way towards a taxi driver because of the colour of his skin is thoroughly unaccept- able. We take a dim view of that. “This behaviour was particularly bad enough but it was exacerbated by the fact that children were there. Behaving in this manner is reprehensible. “However, I am mindful that this appears to be a one-off incident. Do not let it happen again.”
NOVEMBER 2022 PHTM
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