Taxi Driver Online

Thought this had already been posted, but it's a few days old now...

And talking of age, when I read about the charge and saw the driver's name, expected him to be a tad younger than he actually is...


Southwold taxi driver accused of assault of 80-year-old man

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24791063.so ... r-old-man/

A Southwold taxi driver assaulted an 80-year-old man who criticised him for parking near a junction, it has been alleged.

Nikolaos Boutelis had parked his taxi near a Premier Store at the junction of Covert Road and Mount Pleasant in Reydon when the pensioner allegedly knocked on his window and told him that he was causing a hazard and shouldn’t be parked there, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

He was allegedly met with a stream of abuse from Boutelis and told him that he was going to report him, said Simeon Wallis, prosecuting.

Boutelis had allegedly continued to be abusive and the pensioner had raised his hand to cover his mouth because he was shocked at the language he was using, said Mr Wallis.

Boutelis had then allegedly got out of his taxi and knocked the pensioner to the ground and continued the attack while he was on the ground.

“The prosecution say what he was out of all proportion to what started as a conversation through the driver’s window,” said Mr Wallis.

He said that as a result of the alleged incident the pensioner suffered bruising, a graze to his hand and back pain.

Boutelis, 61, of St Edmunds Road, Southwold, has denied an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm, which was committed on March 25 2022.

He later told police he’d been assaulted by the pensioner who had fallen to the ground himself.

He claimed the pensioner had told him to “get out of the country”.

The trial continues.

This is today's article, on yesterday's proceedings.

Can't see anything new, and the relevant bits below speak for themselves...


Southwold taxi driver assault trial adjourned due to juror

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24797509.so ... due-juror/

The trial of an east Suffolk taxi driver who is accused of assaulting an 80-year-old man who criticised him for parking near a junction has been adjourned due to a juror being unwell.[...]

[...]The trial is expected to continue - with Boutelis due to give evidence on Wednesday.

Alternatively, maybe the pensioner said 'you shouldn't be here', meaning the parking

That's not a defence to the charge, even if true.

_________________
IDFIMH

A bit more here, but it's all a bit 'he said, (s)he said', but I suppose a lot of this kind of stuff is like that.

Anyway, the most important part is that the jury didn't think the charge proved 'beyond reasonable doubt'


Southwold taxi driver found not guilty in assault trial

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24804092.so ... ult-trial/

A taxi driver accused of assaulting an 80-year-old man has been found not guilty.

The jury at Ipswich Crown Court found 61-year-old Nikolaos Boutelis, of St Edmunds Road, Southwold not guilty of causing actual bodily harm to the pensioner after just a few hours of deliberation.

He had pleaded not guilty to an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm dating back to March 25, 2022.

The court has heard that Mr Boutelis had parked his taxi near a Premier Store at the junction of Covert Road and Mount Pleasant in Reydon when the pensioner allegedly knocked on his window and told him that he was causing a hazard and shouldn’t be parked there.

It is alleged the defendant then verbally abused the man before getting out of his taxi and beating him to the ground and continuing the assault.

However, the defendant has claimed the man struck him through the open window of the taxi and then fell over his own feet rather than being pushed to the ground.

In the dock, Mr Boutelis said he “hit the roof” after the pensioner punched him through his car window.

Images of Mr Boutelis with a scratch to his neck were shown to the court, however prosecutor Simeon Wallis suggested these injuries were sustained not from a punch but from the struggle after the pensioner was pushed to the ground.

The defendant said after being punched he got out of the taxi to shout at the pensioner who then “twisted his foot” and fell to the ground.

He added that he did not assault the pensioner on the ground but instead simply shouted at him.

Mr Wallis asked Mr Boutelis why he told police after the incident “I pushed him down”.

The taxi driver explained he pushed the pensioner away with the taxi door as he was getting out of the cab and reiterated that he never hit anyone.

'Just a few hours'? Makes it sound like some kind of complex murder or fraud case

I'm maybe completely wrong, but assumed that a jury case like this would normally be done and dusted within a couple of hours' deliberation