UNSUNG HEROES
SIDCUP DRIVER DELIVERS BABY IN THE BACK OF HIS CAB
ster Hospital.
The Metro reports that while Mr Scutt, 32, went to call doctors, Emre Arthur arrived into the world weighing 2.9kg (6lb 7oz). “I’ve had many experiences as an Addison Lee driv- er but nothing like this,” Mr Coombes said. “I’m just glad every- thing went OK.”
Cabbie Iain Coombes, Mathew Scutt, Ayse Sabuncu and baby Emre.
A taxi driver has told how he picked up a customer - and then delivered her baby. Iain Coombes was called to collect heavi- ly pregnant Ayse Sabuncu and her fiancé, Matthew Scutt, for what he thought
would be a regular journey.
But the taxi driver from Sidcup, south-east London, was forced to play midwife when the baby boy started pop- ping out just after he pulled up outside Chelsea and Westmin-
Miss Sabuncu, 37, heaped praise on the taxi driver following last month’s incident. “He was so helpful,” she said.
Mmmm... “helpful” doesn’t come any- where near saying enough about a driver who actually had to deliver the baby in his vehicle! Well done Ian Coombes; fancy mid- wifery? - Ed
DUNDEE TAXI DRIVER PRAISED FOR HIS QUICK THINKING
A Dundee taxi driver, who was commended by a city sheriff for reporting a suspicious man following a teenage girl, said he was only acting as he hoped others would in the same situation. Kevin Neil (40), who works for Dundee firm Tele Taxis, was praised for telling police that he had spotted a man in the city centre pur- suing a 19-year-old student in the early hours of the morning. Michael Mackinnon, 23, had denied that on February 18 in South Ward Road and Mar- ketgait West he breached the peace by following the woman, placing her in a state of fear and alarm. He was found guilty after trial and was placed on the sex offenders register for five years. Sentence was deferred until October 20.
Mr Neil, who was with taxi firm 203020 at the
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time, was nearing the end of his shift when he noticed Mackinnon trailing the girl.
He told the Dundee Courier and Advertis- er, “I was working night shift and I was sitting outside Fat Sam’s in South Ward Road speaking to another taxi driver. “A girl walked past and this guy sort of appeared about 20ft behind her and start- ing speeding up. “They crossed the road and she kept looking behind her and tried to walk faster but the faster she walked, he kept up the same distance.” He added, “I thought that something was just wrong with it - it didn’t look right.” Mr Neil, of Charleston, monitored the pair of them from his taxi and saw the man following her round a number of city centre streets. After seeing the woman run off, Mr Neil
alerted nearby police officers to his suspi- cions about the man. In court last month, Sheriff Tom Hughes said Mr Neil should be commended for his actions, because with- out his intervention the matter might never have come to the attention of the court.
Mmmm… They do say that cabbies are the eyes and ears of the neighbourhood; there’s not a lot that gets missed by them. This particular individ- ual deserves all the praise in the world for being perspicacious beyond the call of duty and sizing up the situation correctly, thereby preventing a crime being commit- ted against the young lady.
ple these days don’t want to get involved. Thank goodness Mr Neil did get involved, in a safe and sane manner. – Ed.
WHITEHAVEN CABBIE SHOT BY DERRICK BIRD TO DRIVE AGAIN
A cabbie who had his hand blown off by gun massacre cabbie Der- rick Bird hopes to get back behind the wheel. Terry Kennedy, 52, lost part of his arm when Bird blasted him in the
face and body during a killing frenzy that left 12 dead and 11 wounded in June. The Daily Star reports that the dad of seven - who has had three oper- ations - is to be fitted
with a prosthetic hand. And he hopes to soon be back at work on the rank in Whitehaven. Medics hope Terry can use a device attached to his car steering wheel to enable him to drive.
BELFAST CABBIE HALTS THEFT OF VAN
A taxi driver stopped a man from driving away a stolen van by block- ing his escape route with his car.
The parked van was
stolen at Anderson- stown Park South, west Belfast at about 4.40pm on August 19. According to the Irish News (Belfast) the man
who stole it attempted to drive off, but he was blocked by a taxi and had to escape on foot. The van was returned to its owner.
LONDON DRIVER TRACED HIS ROBBER
A Tube engineer who robbed a minicab driv- er has been jailed for nine months at Snares- brook Crown Court. He was caught after the victim conducted
his own investigation in order to track him down.
The Evening Standard reports that Syed Ali obtained CCTV footage from Charlie’s
Bar in Tower Hill from which he recognised his attacker, Tommy Lightfoot Walsh, 24. Walsh had demanded the cabbie’s £140 tak- ings on the Isle of Dogs.
SUNDERLAND TAXI DRIVER SAVES SPIKED-DRINK VICTIM
A spiked-drink victim has thanked a taxi driver who helped save her from a gang of strangers.
Too many peo-
Lisa Atkinson had been enjoying a night out with friends in Sunderland, only to wake up in a hospital bed with no memory of the terrifying events that had unfolded. The 28-year-old met the cabbie who intervened and stopped a man from taking her out of his taxi as a gang wait- ed nearby, while she was unable to speak or stand up properly. Lisa, from East Her- rington, says she dreads to think what would have happened if Harry Trott-Dixon had not stepped in to help. She is urging female drinkers to be more vigilant.
Lisa said: “One minute I was out with the girls having a laugh, and the next thing I know I
Lisa Atkinson with Harry Trott-Dixon
am in hospital. I don’t remember a thing.” Lisa’s last memory is of being in the Vine Place area of the city centre. Harry picked up Lisa and a man, who is unknown to her, at a pizza shop and took them to Easing- ton Colliery.
A group of people were waiting there, and one tried to encourage Lisa, who was becoming increasingly distressed, out of the vehicle. Harry, a Troy’s taxi driver, told the Shields Gazette: “I have been
a taxi driver for 20 years and you could tell the pair just weren’t right together. “When we got to the back lane, there was a group of about five or six people and it was obvious she didn’t know any of them. I just wanted to get her back in the car and out of there.”
He took Lisa back to the rank, where a taxi marshal called police. Lisa said: “I couldn’t believe it when Harry told me what had hap- pened.”
PHTM OCTOBER 2010
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