A TAXI driver who failed to tell licensing chiefs of a previous conviction has been suspended from working.

The man was caught speeding in April of last year but failed to tell Bolton Council until 46 days after he was required to.

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A racist woman tried to stab a taxi driver after hurling abuse at him.

Nicole O'Conner flew into a rage shortly after Mandeep Singh was told he was "getting done" last September.

The 24-year-old lunged at the cabbie with a blade before using the weapon to repeatedly strike his Toyota Auris car.

Mr Singh - who worked for Glasgow Private Hire - luckily escaped unhurt.

O'Conner now faces a jail-term after she admitted to the racially aggravated assault and stealing the taxi driver's mobile phone.

She was remanded in custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court pending sentencing next month.

Mr Singh, 40, had been taking O'Conner and others to her home in the city's Possilpark.

Prosecutor Mark Allan said the atmosphere in the car suddenly "changed".

Mr Allan went on: "Mr Singh was told he was getting done by O’Conner and that he was getting stabbed.

"He was called 'a p*** b*****d' as other things were being said to him."

Raging O’Conner grabbed the cabbie's phone before initially going to her home.

As Mr Singh contacted his firm, O'Conner then emerged clutching a blade.

Mr Allan added: "She walked towards Mr Singh and attempted to strike him with the knife.

"She then struck the body work of the car, rear window and tyres before returning to the property."

Police soon arrived and found O'Conner at her home.

As officers tried to take her away, O'Conner then kicked out at PC Ross Mckinlay hitting him on the head.

She also pled guilty to the assault on PC Mckinlay today.

Sheriff Paul Crozier deferred sentencing for reports.

Source: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/woman-guilty-trying-stab-taxi-17640651

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A racist yob has avoided an immediate prison sentence after he punched a taxi driver while trying to flee without paying a fare.

Drunk Anthony Peacock became abusive and lashed out at the cabbie before telling him to "f**k off, you p**** b*****d" when he was dropped off at a McDonald's in South Tyneside.

The 40-year-old, who has no memory of the shocking incident, had tried to run from the taxi without paying the £25.60 fair but was followed by the victim.

Instead of coughing-up the cash, Peacock instantly became abusive and punched the cabbie to the left side of his head, prosecutors said.

But the abuse didn't end there as the brave victim grabbed hold of Peacock, only to be given more abuse, this time with the racist slur.

The police attended after being called by staff at McDonald's and the taxi driver himself and the drunk lout was arrested.

Peacock, formerly of Stoker Avenue, South Shields but now living in Loch Aline, in the Scottish Highlands, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence, assault by beating and making-off without paying at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

And, he was told by District Judge Kate Meek that he came extremely close to being sent to prison immediately.

Giving him a 20-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, the judge said: "There's no doubt about it in my mind, this combination of offences are so serious, it has to be a prison sentence.

"It's a sustained incident on a person working in the early hours of the morning and you're so drunk, you don't know what you're doing to a relatively isolated person.

"So far as the offences are concerned, there really is no mitigation."

The court was told that former Navy reserve Peacock had been out with friends in Newcastle city centre on September 26 last year when he got into a taxi to take him back to South Shields at around 4.20am.

Jeff Taylor, prosecuting, said Peacock was taken to McDonald's, on the Simonside Industrial Estate, and got out but, instead of paying, began to walk away.

Mr Taylor added: "The taxi driver pursued him and asked him to pay the fare. He said "Go back to your taxi or I will knock you out". The defendant then did punch the taxi driver to the left side of his head.

"The taxi driver hung on to the defendant and called out to staff in McDonald's to call the police. The defendant said 'Once you let go, I'm going to kill you'."

The court heard that the cabbie tried to ring the police himself and Peacock managed to escape, which was when he shouted "f**k off you p**** b*****d".

In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "I feel like I didn't deserve to have racist abuse aimed at me and it makes me feel uncomfortable.

"I have heard this term used towards me on many occasions but it still affects me upon hearing it."

Philippa Bell, defending, said Peacock remembered nothing of the night but had made significant progress in his life since he was jailed for a previous offence in 2015.

She added: "He's made efforts since his release from prison to abstain from offending. He moved to the Highlands and was only back in the North East for a hospital consultant appointment.

"He had then been out in Newcastle and had far too much to drink. His friends put him in a taxi and he thought it was an Uber, so he didn't need to pay as he had an account."

As well as the suspended sentence, Peacock was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and must pay £400 compensation to the victim.

Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/racist-yob-punched-taxi-driver-17614928

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A GLASGOW taxi driver has been suspended for a second time after turning off his meter during a Summer Sessions fare.

Dharmindar Singh, who has a history of overcharging customers, drove a couple from Central Station to Bellahouston Park last August - telling them it would cost them a fixed price of £25.

He insisted the ride would be more expensive if he let the meter run, and refused to switch it back on when they asked.

On arrival, Singh locked the doors and refused to let them out until he had been paid.

But, as reported by the Glasgow Times the couple complained to the council's enforcement officers that they had been taken advantage of because they were not from the area.

Singh wrote a letter in response, claiming some confusion had led him to take the couple to Braehead Arena before realising it was a mistake

He claimed that he had not charged the couple extra for his mistake and drove them to their desired location.

Members of the licensing committee raised concerns that there had been no mention of Braehead in the original complaint at their meeting on Thursday and that there was no way to confirm Mr Singh’s version of events.

Councillor Alex Wilson said: “The two areas sound nothing alike.

"Most taxi drivers will know about the Summer Sessions that happen in the Southside of Glasgow in August every year.

“My main concern is that the driver turned off his meter. This should never happen.”

It was then pointed out that Mr Singh had previously had his licence suspended for three months for overcrowding in his vehicle and overcharging.

Following the discussion, members agreed to suspend the licence for four months.

We told last month how a Glasgow cabbie was permanently scarred after being assaulted by two men over a £20 fare.

Savid Javed was stabbed by Gordon McPherson, 21, and repeatedly punched by Dylan Sullivan, 20, outside their house in August this year.

Mr Javed was pounced upon after requesting his fare up front in the early hours of the morning.

McPherson and Sullivan pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the assault on Mr Javed.

Source: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5190166/glasgow-taxi-driver-suspended-overcharging-summer-sessions/

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