Taxi Driver Online

Rape case cabbie fights conviction

A TAXI driver jailed for rape and sex attacks on women passengers is fighting to overturn his conviction.

Malcolm Curtis, 50, of Flamsteed Crescent, Kings Tamerton, was found guilty of forcing himself on a succession of women.

The attacks happened over a four-year period during which Curtis attacked women he had picked up in his specially adapted cabs – and the attacks grew more and more extreme, culminating in rape, the trial heard

Curtis, a Hackney Carriage driver, was convicted of two counts of rape, two of sexual assault, one of indecent assault and three of voyeurism when he appeared at Plymouth Crown Court in October 2008. He was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment for public protection (IPP) and told to serve at least six years before he could apply for parole.

Lord Justice Thomas, Mr Justice Coulson and Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court, have now heard arguments that his trial was unfair, and his convictions unsafe.

The court heard that Curtis was accused of preying upon his passengers between October 9 2003 and November 5 2007. Prosecutors at the trial described Curtis as "a man obsessed with sex" and claimed he used two different "pimped" taxis to lure victims.

The first was a "disco cab" – a black Hackney Carriage fitted with a disco-style sound system and flashing lights. The other was a standard black cab, fitted with a hidden infra-red camera with a recording facility, which Curtis was said to have used to record the antics of amorous couples in the back.

The court heard he was convicted on the basis he kissed, groped and propositioned female passengers, and was finally caught when he drove a lone passenger to an isolated car park, stripped her, forced her to commit an indecent act and then raped her.

Nick Lewin, representing Curtis, argued the trial had been unfair because witnesses had the opportunity to collude before the trial. He also criticised the judge's summing up of the case to the jury.

Lord Justice Thomas directed a further hearing before three judges with the prosecution present. A full appeal will follow if permission is granted at the next hearing.


http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/

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

Links to the original story:

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9356&start=20

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

So he's not fighting it on the grounds of his innocence but on the grounds of a technicality

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Note: I am not condoning his actions under any circumstances.


Don't knock technicalities, Toots. nine times out of ten it is the technicalities that will get you off a parking ticket or similar. 'Technicalities' are generally media speak for 'the authorities got it wrong.' ie, If we are expected to abide by the law, so should they in their enforcement of the law.

I understand that but I personally would rather be freed as a result of my innocence rather than a technicality

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

What is it about this trade that attracts people of this ilk?
Do they come into the trade intending to use it as a way of fulfilling their twisted perversity, or do they get twisted and perverse after being in the trade too long?
Surely the "pimped taxi's" would have been some sort of giveaway and concern for the the Authorities there... Or was that the prosecutions way of ensuring a better result...?
The mind boggles....

many drivers seem to be attracted to this trade because of the access to scantily clad young ladies or the opportunities to pedal drugs pirate videos and anything else which makes easy money its also regerded by many as a job of last resort and as long as taxi drivers are seen to be the lowest of the low the dregs of society will continue to choose it as their "proffession"

The other problem is that not all people coming into the trade seem to know how to handle it there is a case coming up soon about a driver from stamford who worked for many years in a local chippie left to start his own business venture which then failed and then applied for and got a badge within 6 months there had been two serious allegations of sexual assault against female passengers it seems that although there was never any problems working with the mostly female staff in the chippie till late at night as soon as he was driving a taxi he couldn't resist the temptation and that is the problem in this day and age too many seem to let temptation get the better of them and that I think is a society wide problem not just a taxi trade problem

There are many that would disagree with you
I understand why you think that such people come into the trade, but they are also the ones that the media latch onto and so denigrate the trade as some form of low income which it has become over the last 5 - 10 years, that's largly and down to immigration and the over saturation of the trade in my view.....

I don't personally view taxi drivers as the lowest of the low BUT certainly round here many people do

My personal belief is that this needs to become a proper proffession with several layers of qualifications which once achieved would confer a much higher status which along with better enforcement would weed out the criminal elements and perverts and perhaps even convince newspapers and the media in general that cabbies are worthy people

That is not what was said at all.

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Grandad,

yes I misread it and reedited.....

I don't think training will put off the rogue ellement from wanting to do the job. In any walk of life if you go for a job then you have to have an interview, an opportunity for employers to judge a persons character who could quite politely be refused by letter to fill a position, but to be a taxi/ph driver nobody seems to care about what type of people are ferrying the public about because of the greed within all council's which not only generates cash through licences and plates but it get's people out of the benefit's system. Simple solutions such as job references or independent interviewing panel with points systems would probably benefit more than more training.

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Wishing I was in Greenhall Whitley Land.

Dont tar all of us with the same brush....you get a*sholes in all professions...im sure this type of todja waggler would have made life easier for himself if he had had the brains to become a qualified Gynaecologist...sadly he didnt and ended up in this trade..

I know it's a serious matter but I couldn't help but laugh

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

But more Aholes in this trade it seems and tarred we are whether we like it or not.....