FIT AND PROPER
PETERBOROUGH COUNCIL’S LICENCE WARNING TO TAXI FIRMS
Council chiefs said they hope convictions for a taxi boss and his driver for licensing offences will serve as a warning to cabbies in the city. Terence Maudlin, 69, and his employer, Betta Cars boss Mohammed Shabir, 40, appeared in court a month ago on charges brought by the city council’s taxi enforcement office. Maudlin, from Yaxley, pleaded guilty to driv- ing a private hire vehicle without the necessary licence, in an incident on 1st March. Shabir, from Peterbor-
ough, pleaded guilty to operating the pri- vate hire vehicle driven by Maudlin, who was unlicensed and admitted a sepa- rate incident, where he allowed another driver to use a vehicle that was not licensed to convey disabled pas- sengers, between November 2009 and January 2010.
The pair were given absolute discharges. Ian Robinson, the city council’s regulatory officer for taxi enforce- ment, told the Peterborough Evening Telegraph: “The pub- lic’s safety is paramount. People
have the right to expect that the vehicle meets all safety requirements, has been mechanically tested and the driver has passed all the appropriate tests and safety checks. “We hope these con- victions will serve as a warning to all those who are operating pri- vate hire and taxi businesses in the area. “We will continue to be vigilant and carry out enforcement exercis- es.”
He said the council had not yet decided whether to try and revoke Shabir’s opera- tor’s licence.
ESSEX CABBIE AND WIFE JAILED AFTER SHE LIED TO GET £100K OF BENEFITS
A taxi driver and his wife began prison sen- tences for committing more that £100,000 of benefit fraud.
Richard Sullivan, 58, and his wife Julia, 38, were jailed for 15 months each for false- ly claiming council tax and housing benefit. The couple from Elm Park, Essex, were jailed at Basildon Crown Court last month after a jury found them guilty of benefit fraud offences. Mrs Sullivan was found guilty of dishon- estly failing to notify the council of a change in circum- stances and making dishonest statements or representations. Mr Sullivan was found guilty of aiding and
abetting a dishonest failure to notify the council of a change in circumstances.
The court heard the pair received the ben- efits between June 1998 and October 2008 because Mrs Sul- livan signed forms claiming to be a single parent with three chil- dren.
They were caught by Havering Council after an anonymous tip-off. Council investigators invited Mrs Sullivan to attend an interview at which she claimed her husband had moved in with her and that she had declared this in February 2008. No trace of a form was ever found.
Credit checks showed that Mr Sullivan had
been at the address for about ten years. Further evidence that they lived together for about ten years was provided by the Public Carriage Office which confirmed that Mr Sul- livan was a black cab driver and that he noti- fied them in June 1998 of his new address at Warren Drive.
The couple were paid £115,194 in total. They received £62,245 in housing benefit, £7,819 in council tax benefits and £45,129 in income support. Havering councillor Roger Ramsey told the Daily Mail: “People who commit these offences are complete scroungers and should be held in total contempt.”
KIRKBY DRIVER’S LICENCE REVOKED FOR FAILING TO DECLARE CAUTION
A taxi driver has had his licence revoked after failing to admit he had a caution.
Neil White, 41, from Kirkby,
appeared
before West Lancashire Borough Council’s Licensing and Appeals Committee in July 2009 after failing to tell them about the caution for
burglary and convic- tions for other offences. The committee re- voked his licence but he appealed and Orm- skirk Magistrates ruled his licence should not have been revoked. Last month Preston Crown Court upheld the original decision and ordered him to
pay £500.
Cllr Andrew Fowler told the Liverpool Echo: “A taxi driver employs a position of great trust. If they take a passenger out for the evening or to the airport, they will know when their house is empty, making it easi- er to burgle.”
LONDON CABBIE HURLS MILKSHAKE AT PREGNANT WOMAN
A taxi driver appeared in court in August accused of throwing a McDonalds’ milkshake at a heavily pregnant woman driver.
Sutton Magistrates’ Court heard John Kin- loch, 38, from Morden, called the victim a “slag”.
According to This Is Local London, the
woman, who was eight months pregnant, was trying to make a left turn when a black cab sped up and blocked her from changing lanes causing her to brake hard.
After unleashing a tor- rent of abuse at her Kinloch threw the milk- shake at her front passenger window.
The cabbie, whose 12- year-old daughter was in the back of ther cab at the time, overtook the woman and pulled in front of her shout- ing: “It wasn’t worth wasting my milkshake on you, you slag.” Kinloch was asked to pay costs of £200, com- pensation of £100 and a victim surcharge of £15.
NORWICH TAXI WORKER CAUGHT IN UNDERCOVER STING
A Norwich taxi worker was caught in an undercover police operation using the cab offices where he worked as a base to receive stolen goods. David Goodall, 57, who works for Beeline Taxis, was caught on four occasions receiv- ing stolen items at the taxi offices after he was approached by an undercover officer, called Jim, who offered to supply him with stolen goods, Norwich Crown Court heard last month. Malcolm Robins, pros- ecuting, said the undercover operation
followed suspicious activity at the taxi offices after a number of people were seen entering the offices with carrier bags and then leaving empty handed.
Mr Robins said that on two occasions Good- all bought meat and sausages and on another two occasions sat-nav equipment. Goodall, from Long Stratton, who had pre- vious convictions for handling stolen goods, admitted attempted handling and was jailed for three months.
The Norwich Evening
News reports that Judge Paul Downes said it had been an “organised” operation, adding: “People knew to come to you at the taxi office with their stolen goods and though the value in total is not high, it almost had the appearance of a small business.” David Wilson for Goodall said that since his arrest the taxi office where he worked had now said it would eject anyone who offered any items for sale: “He remains employed by the busi- ness. He is a hard worker.”
PAGE 16
PHTM OCTOBER 2010
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