Taxi Driver Online

Court told cabbies' row ended in head-butting


A taxi driver's nose was broken in a row with another cabbie about queueing for fares, a court heard.

Karl Morgrage allegedly head-butted Atif Taklar in the face during a confrontation on a taxi rank at Brighton train station.

Edmund Blackman, prosecuting, said both men were taxi drivers who pick up fares at the station.

He said: "Mr Morgrage became rather upset Mr Taklar seemed to be queueing in an antisocial way which was inconveniencing other taxi drivers. He went to speak to Mr Taklar, rapped on his window and asked him to move and there were some swear words.

"Mr Taklar initially refused but then did as he was asked. There was then some more swearing from Morgrage.

"Mr Taklar got out of his taxi to find out why there was a need for swearing.

"The Crown says Morgrage turned round and head-butted Mr Taklar, breaking his nose."

Morgrage, 49, of Carlyle Street, Brighton, denies causing Mr Taklar actual bodily harm on November 11, 2004.

The attack was reported to British Transport Police at Brighton station and Morgrage was interviewed about the alleged assault in March last year.

Mr Blackman said: "He agreed there had been an altercation about queueing. He admitted there had been a clash of heads and said he had suffered a cut to the top of his own head.

"Morgrage denied he had deliberately head-butted Mr Taklar and said it was Mr Taklar who had done the headbutting and had come off worse."

Mr Taklar told the jury at Hove Crown Court he was sitting in the middle of three lanes used by taxis to queue for fares at the station.

He said drivers can use all three lanes to wait for passengers.

Mr Taklar told the court: "I was waiting in the middle lane listening to my radio when I heard a couple of beeps from a horn behind me.

"A few minutes later someone came over and knocked on my window.

"It was the defendant and he told me to move over to the right hand lane because it was getting empty.

"I said I was not going to move and that he could drive over the kerb like everyone else does. He started swearing and after that I moved my car because I did not want any trouble."

Mr Taklar said Morgrage walked away but kept swearing at him so he got out of his cab to ask him why.

He added: "He came up to me nose to nose and asked me if I liked it. I said no.

"He head-butted me on my nose which started bleeding from inside and a cut on the outside."

Mr Taklar said he went to report the alleged attack at the British Transport Police office at the station.

He said by the time he came back with an officer Morgrage had gone.

The trial continues.

So much for the so-called exemplary Brighton and Hove taxi drivers.

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IDFIMH

Sounds like one of these new words, in this case to describe the feeling of alienation and resentment experienced when having difficulty securing a loan to buy a house.

A sad tale, but I think bickering like this is on the increase everywhere - perhaps the BBC or ITV could make a reality TV show where the would contrive a scenario whereby taxi drivers would start arguing with each other, and if one head-butted the other than that would be very good for the ratings

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

he was found not quilty.
luckiest b*****d alive.

Not quilty? Bit continental, that?

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Former taxi driver

The best in the South Sussex?

Rest assured I'm more than happy to say when licensed drivers down here are not up to the job.

It's me that's been reminding people, who say everything is 'fine and dandy', that we have had three hackney carriage drivers convicted of rape in the last three years.

And for the record the conviction rate for rape is 6.5%. So people please do the maths.

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IDFIMH