A Glasgow cabbie who drove his vehicle at and struck a fraudster who had left him homeless has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison. 

Awet Teame, 32, carried out the attack outside Glasgow Sheriff Court on March 1 last year, the same day his victim, Bekezela Ncube, was due to stand trial for defrauding him of £9,000.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Teame's actions were captured on his own dashcam. 

Defence lawyer Duncan McPhie described Teame's actions as a "moment of madness," stating that his client had "taken the law into his own hands." 

Graphic footage showed Teame's taxi speeding towards Ncube, mounting the pavement, and throwing him onto the bonnet.

Prosecutor Christopher Wilson KC detailed the incident, saying: "While Ncube was midway across the road, Teame accelerated towards him. 

Ncube ran, but was struck on the left side of his body. The collision occurred while Ncube was on the pavement. He was lifted up off his feet onto the bonnet." 

Despite briefly losing consciousness, Ncube sustained only grazes and tenderness.

Teame initially fled the scene but later returned to the court and signed in as a witness before being arrested. 

Lord Arthurson, who handed down the sentence, acknowledged the seriousness of the crime, stating: "The nature of the offence means a custodial sentence is inevitable. The location of the offence is a material aggravation."

The court heard that Ncube had defrauded Teame of £8,721 in late 2021, leading to Teame becoming homeless and living in a shelter. 

Mr. McPhie told the court: "As a result of him being defrauded by the complainer in this case, he was homeless and living in a shelter. He was working as a taxi driver and he used that taxi to commit the offence." 

He added that Teame had expressed remorse and that "at the time of the offence, he lost control and to use a cliche, my lord, there was a rush of blood to the head. He acted impulsively in his actions on the day."

In a twist, the court was also told that Ncube was eventually convicted of a string of frauds in January 2025, receiving 300 hours of unpaid work and being ordered to repay Teame. 

In addition to the prison sentence, Lord Arthurson also banned Teame from driving for seven years.

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Taxi fares in Angus could see a significant increase of up to 11% following a vote by the Angus Civic Licensing Committee on Thursday 15 May. 

The proposed changes come as taxi operators say they are struggling to meet the rising national minimum wage, sparking a debate within the local trade.

Under the approved plans, a consultation will now take place regarding an increase in the daytime tariff for the first mile from £4.40 to £4.90. Longer daytime journeys could see rises of 8 to 10%, while evening fares are proposed to increase by 7 to 9%, with the initial mile potentially rising from £5.50 to £6.

Neil Gibson, of Lorimer Cabs in Montrose, argued strongly for the fare hike, stating that without it, drivers' pay would fall below the living wage. 

"The bottom line is that without revenue and without profit, there’s no taxi companies," he told the committee. "The decline in the service in Angus has been absolutely massive." 

He further emphasised the financial strain, stating: "The only way the taxis can survive is if that cost is paid by the customers."

However, the prospect of increased fares has divided operators. Some fear that a price rise could "kill" the local trade. Despite these concerns, Mr. Gibson argued: "In the last ten years I’ve never had a customer complain about the price of taxis. The only complaint I’ve had is that they can’t get them."

Wendy Foreman, a Forfar operator, echoed the difficulties in attracting drivers, saying: "Nobody wants to do the job. No-one wants to work till two or three in the morning on a Saturday night because there’s no taxis."

Councillor Kenny Braes, who stated: "I’ve done the sums and there’s no way I’d be investing in a taxi business because I can’t make them stack up," pointed out that the proposed fares represent the maximum tariffs, leaving room for drivers to charge less.

Despite four responses to the committee favouring no increase, council leader George Meechan's stance was ultimately unsuccessful. The committee voted 6-2 in favour of the rise, and the proposals will now be advertised for public comment before a final decision is made.

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An unlicensed taxi driver has been operating in Chichester for two years, councillors have been told.

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday 13 May, members discussed plans to increase taxi licence fees. As part of the process, views had been sought from drivers and operators across the district.

A letter from Starline Sussex, which operates out of Market Road, questioned a statement from a licensing committee report which said that ‘promoting public safety and protecting the travelling public’ was a priority.

But Starline said it had been reporting an ‘unlicensed, uninsured’ driver working in the area for the past two years – even going so far as to book a ride with the man to prove he was operating as a taxi.

On top of that, Starline reported that the driver was charging ‘far lower’ fares than licensed firms, suggesting that ‘by not paying the fees of a licensed driver, he can afford to do so’.

Jonathan Brown, deputy leader of the council, asked if any enforcement action had been taken against the driver.

He was told by the council’s licensing manager: “That matter was investigated by the team in conjunction with our colleagues at Sussex Police and the matter has now concluded. The individual has been advised as to the proper course of action to become licensed.”

When asked for more information, a council spokesman said: “We cannot comment on this case as the individual concerned has recently lodged an application with this licensing authority which will be considered in due course.

"The council’s safety advice when taking a taxi is clear – if it does not display the signs and plates then do not get in, as it will not be licensed or insured to carry you."

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A professional chauffeur has condemned the pothole-ridden roads in a north London borough as "despicable and a danger to drivers" after his Mercedes was damaged, costing him a day's earnings.

Andy Sozos is now in a dispute with Brent Council, which has refused to pay for the damage, claiming it was "not aware of the pothole until after the incident."

Mr Sozos says the incident on Priestly Way near Brent Cross on January 9th caused "significant disruption" to his livelihood. Damage to his car's wheel and ball joint forced him to take it off the road.

He recounted the ordeal to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "I had to arrange for another car to pick up my client, pay out for a new tyre, pay for a new track rod arm to be fitted, and have an unpaid day off work to get this fixed...This incident caused significant disruption to my livelihood.

"I lost work as a result, and I am still left out of pocket for the repairs. It left me quite shocked by the level of damage done to my tyre, which makes me worry for the safety of the roads in Brent."

Despite the wider disruption, Mr Sozos is only seeking to reclaim the £146 cost of the new tyre.

He further criticised the overall condition of the roads, stating: "The state of the roads in the borough is atrocious. As a professional driver, I regularly encounter potholes and other defects. Only a short time before this incident, I narrowly avoided a large pothole on the A5 which would have done serious damage to my car...

"Four months later and the council still won’t pay out for the damage done by the poor state of their roads.”

Steve Garelick, GMB Regional Officer for Taxi and Private Hire, has called on Brent Council to accept responsibility. "Mr Sozos has been battling for almost four months for Brent to accept liability for this incident. Brent Council must stop dodging its responsibilities and compensate Mr Sozos,” he said.

While Brent Council stated the road had been inspected a couple of months prior and the pothole was not present, they confirmed the defect was repaired on January 22nd.

A council spokesperson told the LDRS: “We were not made aware of the pothole until after the incident, and have since inspected and filled it. Whilst we are sympathetic to the circumstances, we have continued to inspect the road and fill potholes when they are found.”

They also highlighted a £15m resurfacing budget, noting: “Over the last few years we have spent over £15m on revamping pavements and roads.”

Despite these efforts, a recent Freedom of Information request revealed that Brent Council has paid out nearly £600,000 in compensation for accident and injury claims related to potholes and pavement defects since 2020, underscoring the ongoing issue of road maintenance in the borough.

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A recent increase in taxi numbers in Stirling is being eyed as a potential cause for growing parking problems in the city centre.

At a Stirling Council meeting, SNP Councillor Jim Thomson voiced concerns about "indiscriminate parking on Barnton Street, Murray Place and Station Road," attributing the issue to the lifting of the cap on taxi licences in 2023.

Councillor Thomson questioned the council's future plans, asking: "Is it the intention of the [planning and regulation] panel to review the decision on lifting the cap?”

He was informed that a further unmet demand survey, planned for later this year, would inform any decision on reinstating a cap on taxi numbers. Expressing pessimism, Councillor Thomson remarked: "Unfortunately I don’t know how we’re going to get the genie back in the bottle on this one.”

Conservative Councillor Neil Benny acknowledged that "the issue of the cap will be discussed as part of the unmet demand survey," while suggesting that parking issues could be addressed through broader taxi policy discussions.

"I look forward to hearing discussion on how we can use taxi policy to help with that enforcement as well," he added.

The cap on taxi licences for electric, hybrid, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles was removed in 2023 by the council's planning and regulation panel. This decision, aimed at meeting customer demand, followed a Stirling Taxi Unmet Demand Survey which indicated a significant need for more taxis in the city centre.

The panel also resolved that all taxis could operate across the Stirling Council area, removing previous restrictions on some licences that limited them to rural areas.

The council had previously consulted with taxi drivers, operators, and Police Scotland before making the change.

As taxi numbers were expected to rise, the council also sought public input on the location of a new night-time taxi rank in the city centre, with Port Street being a primary consideration.

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