Taxi Driver Online

Legal chief ‘sorry’ over taxi driver bitten by junkie



THE Solicitor General has been forced to apologise to a taxi driver after the Crown Office and police botched a prosecution against a drug addict who bit him.

Scotland's second top legal officer, Frank Mulholland, also ordered Glasgow's Procurator Fiscal, Lesley Thomson, to find what went wrong.

But two months after being told to carry out the investigation, the victim has still heard nothing from her.

The 60-year-old was taking a fare from Nitshill to Uddingston when the attack took place last year.

He spent six months living with the fear he could have been infected with HIV/AIDS and watched as four attempts to bring the case to court failed - even though the woman who attacked him confessed.

His last chance of getting justice disappeared when a magistrate refused to continue the case for a fifth time after a police officer didn't turn up at Glasgow District Court.

The distraught driver, who doesn't want to be named to avoid upsetting his school-age grandkids, thinks he has been failed by the justice system.

"The whole system is a shambles," he said. "It's nearly two months since I was told I would be contacted by the Procurator Fiscal's office and I've heard nothing."

The ordeal started when the self-employed private hire driver picked up the woman in Nitshill in June last year.

He said: "She got in the back of the car and looked OK but then her head slumped against the front passenger seat so I told her to sit up for her own safety.

"That's when the abuse started and when I realised what state she was in I asked her if she had enough funds."

The driver was advised by his controller to head to a police station before the passenger asked to stop at an ATM machine.

He accompanied the woman to the ATM at her request but when no cash appeared she ran past him and into the front of his taxi.

As the driver opened the door she bit his arm, leaving two puncture marks. He took her to a police station where she admitted the assault.

The case against the woman was adjourned the first time, the police didn't turn up the second time, there were insufficient medical reports on the third date and the fiscal said the officer hadn't turned up on the fourth occasion.

The delays have left the taxi driver, who still suffers from anxiety and is on medication, frustrated and angry.

He said: "I went through hell and my wife went through hell. I was off work for two weeks because I was terrified but I had to get back to earn a living."

The man received £1200 from the Criminal Injuries Board.

A Crown Office spokesman said Mr Mulholland had instructed an inquiry to be carried out but "due to an admin oversight" the Procurator Fiscal didn't find out about it.

He apologised and assured the driver he will be contacted soon.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

"He apologised and assured the driver he will be contacted soon."

What's the problem CC?

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"