Two robbers showed no mercy as they ignored a frightened shop keeper's pleas not to rob the shop he worked in.
TeessideLive reports that hours later, one of them held a knife to a taxi driver's throat, as the other punched him repeatedly in the face and emptied his pockets.
Christina Youll, 46, and Joanne Baillie, 42, left the taxi driver terrified, as he told them he had a family and they could "take all they wanted."
On Monday 15 April, the two women appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced. Baillie was also charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
The court heard that in February, Baillie teamed up with pal Christina Youll to carry out two robberies, whilst they were high on class A drugs.
A shop assistant, was closing their store in the Hemlington area, just before 10pm on February 20, and saw the two women "with their hoods up, peering in through the window."
"Youll smashed the window with a brick and they broke in" Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, told the court.
"They told him not to shout and demanded money. Youll was behind the till, the victim could see she had a large kitchen knife. Baillie held a smaller knife."
The shop assistant was captured on CCTV, his hands together as he pleaded with the two women not to rob the shop; as Youll took bottles of alcohol and cigarettes. They left carrying a basket full of their haul.
Hours later, on February 21, the two called a taxi to pick them up from an address in Hemlington and along with another man asked to be taken to Asda, on Portrack Lane.
The man stayed in the taxi as the women went into the shop. But when the taxi driver saw them arguing with a security guard, "he did not feel he could drive off" Ms Lamballe said, " as the male remained in his car."
They were driven to an address in Norton and then back to Hemlington. But when the women asked the driver to let them out further up the street, he became suspicious and refused.
"Youll leaned forward and held a kitchen knife to his throat - ordering him 'to give me all your money'."
The court heard that the driver told her to take all she wanted, and pleaded with her not to hurt him, as he had a family.
Baillie punched the driver repeatedly to his face, before taking his iPhone, car keys and cash from his pockets. They left the taxi.
Ms Lamballe said that the man's phone and keys were later found in a bush. The taxi driver said he was "physically sick" with fear.
The two were arrested hours later. but Baillie told officers: "You're not f****** taking me like" before biting one officer on the hand.
Youll, from Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, and to two counts of the possession of a knife. She has 28 previous convictions for 48 offences.
In March 2021, she was jailed for 21-months for attacking a man at a party, before stamping him as he lay bleeding on the ground.
Baillie, also from Middlesbrough, admitted the robberies and the possession of the knife, in addition to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. She has 38 previous convictions for 88 offences, which include a previous robbery.
Judge Chris Smith told the two women, as they stood in the dock: "The pair of you robbed two men at knifepoint. The shop assistant was deeply frightened, and pleading with you not to rob the store. You completely ignored his pleas, and at one stage pushed him away.
"A few hours later, you held the knife to a taxi driver's throat. I can imagine just how terrified he was, in the close quarters of his car."
Youll was jailed for five-years-and-two-months; and Baillie was handed a five-year-four-month sentence.
Source: https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/ruthless-women-ignored-shop-workers-28997476
Taxi drivers in Swindon will not now be compelled to install CCTV in their vehicles after a change of heart by Swindon Borough Council.
According to the Swindon Advertiser, the cause of that change is the burden on the council to keep records.
In mid-2022 the council’s licensing committee agreed to change policy to make CCTV mandatory in both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.
The plan was for new vehicles to have the technology installed by the start of 2023 and then all vehicles by April 1.
Last year staff shortages in the licensing department meant that the deadline was not achieved.
The members of the committee agreed to put back the implementation of the policy by a year.
That means, according to a licensing report, the team was able to look further into the requirements on the council if it insisted all taxis have cameras and recording equipment installed.
Data protection laws would mean the local authority would be responsible to holding and managing the data captured by the CCTV if it was needed.
A report said: "This review established that where the council has mandated CCTV as part of its taxi licensing policy, there are significant technical requirements that must be in place to implement the requirement and to fulfil the Information Commissioner’s Office requirements.
“These present onerous expectations on the council as the data controller.”
It added that CCTV has not been needed in the occasions where complaints have been made against drivers: “Over the last year the council has received some complaints about the conduct of HCV and PHV drivers.
Three drivers have been suspended and three have had their licence revoked as a result.
“In taking this action, none of the investigations required CCTV footage to bring the matters to a conclusion.
“Whilst it is undeniably useful to capture footage via CCTV, the current level of criminality does not justify a requirement for mandatory inclusion. Fundamentally, the council does not have the resources to deliver a mandatory CCTV requirement at this time.”
It does say if drivers want to install CCTV they should be allowed to do so.
A new consultation of passengers and the taxi drivers at the start of 2024 said 72 per cent of respondents, most of whom were taxi drivers, wanted CCTV to be option.
Only five per cent of local authorities in the UK make it mandatory for taxis to have CCTV installed.
Source: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24249944.swindon-council-backtracks-mandatory-taxi-cctv/
Veezu has renewed its partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, offering a vital service to its advanced pre-hospital emergency service.
Formerly known as Go Carz and A2B Radio Cars in the region, Veezu has set up an account for the air ambulance crew, offering a free taxi service for them to get back from hospital when they have travelled by land ambulance or if the aircraft has needed to return due to nighttime and low visibility.
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity operates and funds three air ambulances and a fleet of critical care cars covering six Midlands counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. It’s vital pre-hospital emergency service responds to some of the most traumatic incidents such as cardiac arrests, heart attacks and strokes.
Each year, it costs between £13-14 million to maintain its clinical operations, where the charity relies solely on the support of local people and organisations to fund future lifesaving missions.
They have recently opened a new base in Shifnal that will allow them to host more members of staff, events, and educational visits.
Veezu will be helping to make travel to and from the base more accessible with QR code displays providing an easy booking service.
The account, which was set up last year following a cash donation, has provided a vital service to the crew of critical care paramedics and doctors.
Pam Hodgetts, corporate partnerships manager at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: "Veezu has been supporting Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for a number of years, providing valuable financial and pro bono support.
“On occasion, our aircraft need to return to base due to nighttime flying restrictions, leaving our crew stranded at major trauma centres across the Midlands. Veezu provides a free taxi service to ensure the crew can return to base once their patient handover is complete.
"As you can imagine, this not only provides our crew with peace of mind but also saves the charity a lot of money. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support.”
Graham Hoof, regional operations director of Veezu in the Midlands, said: “We’re always happy to offer cash donations to charities but in this case, we thought we could offer something that was of tangible benefit to the charity.
“The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity account has proved useful to its crew over the last year, so it was a no brainer to renew the partnership.
"We’re so happy we’ve been able to help its team of highly skilled clinicians in instances where they have travelled to hospital via land ambulance or are unable to travel by via aircraft due to poor visibility.
"After a long shift, especially one where you’ve helped save lives, the last thing you need is to worry about how you’re getting home. “
Drivetech, in collaboration with the AA Charitable Trust, has expanded its 'Drive Confident' training programme to support Afghan refugees arriving in the UK.
Recognising the challenges faced by individuals navigating the unfamiliar roads of a new country, Drivetech’s free e-learning module is designed to help drivers new to the UK stay safe and feel confident.
In response to the success of the Ukrainian module and requests from a number of refugee support services, the Drive Confident e-learning module is now accessible through the Drivetech website in both Pashto and Dari languages, catering to Afghan refugees.
This e-learning module provides refugees with the necessary knowledge and skills to drive safely in the UK. Similar to Drivetech’s Ukrainian refugee training programme, which has been accessed by over 1,000 unique users, the Drive Confident e-learning module covers essential topics such as UK road regulations, Highway Code disparities, road safety measures, and driving etiquette specific to the UK.
By partnering with the AA Charitable Trust, Drivetech demonstrates its commitment to supporting refugees from diverse backgrounds when integrating into British society. The module not only assists refugees in adapting to their new environment but also opens opportunities for employment that may require driving as a skill.
Nick Butler, director of Drivetech, comments: "Driving in a new country poses significant challenges, and we are pleased to extend our support to Afghan refugees as well as Ukrainian refugees.
"Our aim is to facilitate a smooth transition for refugees by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and confidence to drive safely in the UK."
The Drive Confident e-learning module from Drivetech and the AA Charitable Trust is available here: https://www.drivetech.co.uk/drive-confident/#/
For more information about Drivetech, visit: www.drivetech.co.uk.
A cabbie told police he’d ‘had a hair transplant’ after he was caught using his bald brother’s licence.
The Manchester Evening News reports that Mohammed Abid Ali, 32, who boasts a full head of hair, was challenged over a photo-card which showed an apparently older and bald man, a court heard.
He had been driving down Oxford Road, Manchester when he was stopped by police and council licensing officers.
Ali told them that he had been using hair re-growth products and had undergone a horse-hair transplant operation.
But checks revealed Ali had his licence revoked by a council panel the previous month.
Manchester magistrates ordered the illegal cabbie to pay nearly £1,000 in fines, costs, and a victim surcharge after he pleaded guilty to driving a hackney carriage without a licence or insurance.
Ali, from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, said after his court appearance he had been banned from driving after clocking up 12 points on his licence.
He told the M.E.N: “I took my brother's licence out with me but he’s a bit older than me. They didn’t allow me to plead any mitigating circumstances when they banned me. I need to earn so that’s why I did it.”
Cllr Kate Chappell from Manchester council said: “This case should serve as a warning to all unlicensed taxi drivers, our officers are out on the streets and are incredibly vigilant.”
Bahaaelden Ibrahim, 44, sexually assaulted the victim in Cardiff after she had been out watching a Wales rugby international.
The city has the highest rate of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.
The government has today launched a consultation on the potential tax impacts of recent High Court judgments on transport legislation on the private hire vehicle sector and its passengers.
The driver was working a night shift in Whitehaven and accepted a fare on the Duke Street rank just before 5am on 4-50am.
Private hire driver, Saleem Raza, has been slapped with a substantial fine after being caught operating illegally in Reading town centre.
Oldham Council has said that the Dan Fold taxi rank, based behind the former Snipe Inn pub and across from Oldham Bus Interchange, will be closed down as the former pub is set to be demolished.
A taxi firm has been ordered to pay more than £400 in costs for keeping a vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements.
Edward Marshman charged his customer twice for the £50 ride before making off with his iPhone
Kunathilinghan Mohanthas fatally struck Christopher Hanton in Glasgow city centre last August 5. Mohanthas had told the 40 year-old mortgage advisor to get out his Mercedes Vito just moments after picking him up.
LEVC has debuted new information and images of the luxurious and innovative interior of its L380 Multi-Purpose Vehicle.