A 27-year-old man from Burnley has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to an unprovoked attack on a private hire driver who informed him of booking procedures.

Reece Rainey appeared at Blackburn Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to assaulting Shabaz Akhtar, leaving the driver with multiple broken teeth and mouth injuries.

The court heard that the incident occurred outside a booking office where Rainey approached Mr. Akhtar's vehicle seeking a ride.

Prosecutor Courtney Thompson stated: "He was told he had to go into the office and book a taxi. He initially walked away but then returned and became aggressive to such an extent two other drivers locked themselves in their cars."

According to Thompson, Rainey then turned his aggression towards Mr. Akhtar, who was standing outside his cab. "He was punched about 12 times and had no memory of what happened after the last punch until he realised one of his colleagues was running him to hospital," she recounted.

The severity of the assault was underscored by the injuries sustained by Mr. Akhtar, who suffered "five or six broken teeth" with some requiring extraction.

In mitigation, Rainey's defence solicitor, Nick Cassidy, acknowledged the gravity of his client's actions. "He has never been in trouble before and finds it very difficult to explain his behaviour on this night,"

Cassidy told the court, adding that Rainey had been drinking excessively and now "hardly drinks at all." He conveyed Rainey's remorse, stating his client "accepted it had been a disgusting incident and wished to apologise."

Despite the violent nature of the assault, District Judge James Clarke opted for a suspended sentence. Rainey received a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 weeks, and was ordered to complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also instructed to pay £3,000 in compensation to Mr. Akhtar, along with £85 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

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Fast-growing private hire giant Veezu, boasting a network of 16,000 drivers nationwide, has set its sights on York, applying for an operator's licence in the historic city.

The Cardiff-based company, which claims to be "Britain’s fastest growing private hire company," is currently in the process of acquiring local firm Drive Private Hire Ltd, situated on Layerthorpe.

According to a City of York Council report, Veezu's application indicates a potential fleet of over 90 vehicles operating within York. The report also highlights the company's existing significant presence in neighbouring areas, noting that Veezu "holds 115 private hire operator’s licences issued by nearby local authorities, including Leeds and Hull councils."

The crucial decision on whether to grant Veezu the licence will be made by the council's licensing and regulatory sub-committee at a meeting scheduled for Monday, April 28th.

A key consideration for the committee will be whether the applicant is deemed "a fit and proper person." The council report emphasises the importance of this assessment, stating that it is important, "as people give a lot of personal information when hiring a private hire vehicle."

Founded in 2013, Veezu has rapidly expanded through strategic acquisitions of private hire firms across the UK, including Premier Cars in Leeds.

The company's significant growth is underscored by its recent milestones, having generated "more than £1m from passenger fares in a single day for the first time" in 2023.

Furthermore, their mobile application has achieved over a million downloads, demonstrating their substantial reach and technological infrastructure. The upcoming licensing decision will determine whether York will become the latest city to see the Veezu brand on its roads.

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In a shocking act of broad daylight revenge, taxi driver Awet Teame, 32, has admitted to attempting to murder a man who had previously defrauded him out of thousands of pounds.

The brazen hit-and-run unfolded outside Glasgow Sheriff Court on March 1, 2024, the very day the victim, Bekezela Ncube, was due to stand trial for conning Teame.

The High Court in Glasgow was shown graphic dash-cam footage from Teame's own vehicle, capturing the moment he lay in wait for Mr Ncube.

Prosecutor Christopher Wilson described the chilling sequence: “While Mr Ncube was midway across the road, Teame accelerated towards him. Mr Ncube ran, but was struck on the left side of his body.

"The collision occurred while Mr Ncube was on the pavement. He was lifted up off his feet onto the bonnet.”

Miraculously, Mr Ncube escaped serious injury. Following the impact, Teame, originally from Eritrea and residing in Shettleston, initially fled the scene. However, in a bizarre turn of events, he returned to the court hours later, calmly signing in as a witness and even interacting with police officers before his arrest.

Teame pleaded guilty to the attempted murder charge on Thursday 17 April, via his lawyer Duncan McPhie, and is now behind bars awaiting sentencing in May.

The court heard that Mr Ncube had defrauded Teame out of £8,721 in late 2021, leading to Mr Ncube facing fraud charges and a trial scheduled for the day of the attack. Teame had been due to testify against him.

Prosecutor Wilson detailed Teame's calculated actions: “Teame noticed him and began to rev the engine of his vehicle... At this point, Teame drove the vehicle forward and to the left in an attempt to strike Mr Ncube as he went past. The vehicle collided with the wall in front of it while Mr Ncube ran up the steps.” The collision with the wall also damaged Teame's car.

Despite being briefly knocked unconscious, Mr Ncube alerted police inside the sheriff court. He was later treated in hospital for grazes and tenderness.

Adding another layer to the case, the court heard that Mr Ncube was eventually convicted of fraud in January 2025 and sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work, as well as being ordered to repay the money to Teame.

Advocate Mr McPhie did not request bail for Teame, and Lord Arthurson remanded him in custody pending background reports before his sentencing.

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Private hire driver, Kamran Nawaz, 37, has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 19-year-old university student passenger.

Nawaz appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week and admitted to the crime, which occurred on May 23 of last year in the Anderston area of the city.

The court heard the victim was intoxicated at the time of the assault. Sheriff Allan McKay described the incident, stating: "I have been told that the incident happened in a taxi. He was the driver, he drove the girl to an address and there was contact before she left the taxi."

Evidence presented also indicated the car doors were locked, and the victim reported Nawaz touching her leg and thigh.

Upon arrest, Nawaz claimed: “I only gave her a hug.” However, his lawyer conceded the gravity of his actions, acknowledging it as "opportunistic conduct".

He added: "He should have noted that this was a young, vulnerable woman at the back of his taxi. He accepts that he was wrong to take advantage of the circumstances. He did not misread the signals, there were no signals."

The court also heard that Nawaz has no previous convictions and has a young family.

Sheriff McKay delivered a stern rebuke, telling Nawaz: "I am not certain it was impulsivity. I think it was opportunistic. I think you are a dangerous man and I am concerned you are driving a taxi."

Nawaz was sentenced to six months of supervision, ordered to complete 135 hours of unpaid work, and instructed to pay £300 in compensation to the victim.

Sheriff McKay warned: "This is a serious offence. If you breach the order and come back before me, I will send you to jail."

Furthermore, Nawaz will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for six months.

Following the conviction, Glasgow City Council's licensing board acted swiftly, revoking Nawaz's Private Hire Car Driver's licence on May 28, 2024. The decision to suspend the licence, which was valid until January 31, 2026, was made with immediate effect after a complaint from the Police Scotland chief constable.

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Tracy Hibbert, who has been a taxi driver since 1991, bought a 2019 Ford Transit Custom van in August.

But the following month it failed a council test as the tint in the windows was deemed to be too dark.

Tracy was given six months to address the issue so the windows met Wigan Council’s requirement of letting through 20 per cent of light.

However, she was injured in a fall and unable to work, so could not raise £4,300 to replace the windows.

The van has now been suspended for use as a taxi. Tracy has to wait eight weeks before she can appeal and risks losing her taxi driver plates for good.

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