Jamie Love (25) of Killyleagh was handed a three-year sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Monday, October 6, for assaulting a taxi driver. The sentence was split equally between custody and supervised licence.
The court heard that on February 12, 2023, police were called to a scene where they observed the wounded taxi driver "covered in blood" following the assault by Love.
Sentencing him, Judge Gordon Kerr KC stated the taxi driver was "providing a public service" and was "entitled to the court's protection." Love subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Judge Kerr noted Love's criminal record, which includes several prior violent offences, adding: "It's perfectly clear that this man has a tendency to be a violent offender."
In addition to the assault, Love was given a two-year conditional discharge for a separate charge of child cruelty that occurred on July 20, 2021.
Regarding the child cruelty charge, Judge Kerr noted that "the child is now safe and the defendant has no access to the child."
He imposed the same conditional discharge on Love as he had previously given to the co-accused.
This support comes after a new report commissioned by DVS found overwhelmingly negative feedback on the island's taxi service, with 78% of respondents offering negative feedback.
Pensioner and taxi driver Geoffrey Thomas Albery was fined and disqualified from driving after being found behind the wheel over the legal alcohol limit and wearing "only his boxer shorts".
Police Scotland objected to the application, with an officer telling councillors that the applicant had driven without “due care and attention or without reasonable consideration” for others.
The full integration of the two companies is anticipated to be complete by "around Monday, October 19."
The initiative focuses on providing anti-spiking guidance for Veezu drivers, training them to "recognise the warning signs of spiking and respond appropriately to help keep passengers safe."
While the driver was reported as "uninjured," the "taxi was damaged" during the event.
According to new accounts filed with Companies House, the company's pre-tax loss ballooned to £179.4m, significantly up from the £75.5m loss reported in 2023.
The committee heard that the driver, who was not named, had failed to notify the council of her initial arrest and charges within the required 48 hours.
Jaymie Wilson, 35, has been ordered to pay a total of £770 after he became aggressive toward a taxi driver, uttered homophobic slurs, and threw a glass at him.
The details of the allegation stated that the passenger woke up to a horrifying situation: "The passenger passed out in the vehicle, upon coming around, the driver was licking her breasts.
The officials voiced fears that drivers licensed in other areas can operate in Rotherham, about whom local authorities have "no information."
South Wales Police and licensing teams from Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Newport councils conducted two operations, stopping over 50 taxis and private hire vehicles to ensure safety.
A private hire vehicle driver in Blackburn recounted the moment a tree came crashing down onto his car during heavy wind and rain on the afternoon of Friday, October 3.
A Fife taxi driver, Kay Rooney, has spoken out about the lasting trauma following a knifepoint robbery by an attacker who was on bail for a similar offence.
Thomas Llewellyn, 38, of Warrington, appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court after admitting to a string of offences committed in Burnley on January 8 this year.
Dale Allison, 43, of Hull, was jailed for seven years and two months after admitting to robbery and causing criminal damage. He pleaded guilty on the day his trial was due to start.
The new partnership signals an exciting chapter of growth and a more collaborative future for both companies.
The App Drivers’ and Couriers’ Union (ADCU) has welcomed calls by London Assembly Member and Chair of the London Transport Committee, Elly Baker, for urgent Government action to protect the capital’s private hire and tax
Eastbourne Police have released an image in a public appeal to trace a man in connection with a serious assault on a taxi driver in Lewes on August 16.
A Swansea court has issued a hospital order for a man who robbed a taxi driver at scissor-point before leading police on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit in the stolen vehicle.