Cabbie jailed after hit gang like skittles over row with brother
Friday, May 21, 2010, 09:20
A taxi driver drove his cab into a group of youths as though they were "skittles".
Tariq Rehman hit six people with his car after they became involved in an argument with his 16-year-old brother.
The 26-year-old, pictured below, is today starting a 20-month jail term after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday heard Rehman's brother and a friend had been walking along Foster Street, in Tunstall, on September 29, when a youth, who was part of a group celebrating a 21st birthday, started shouting at them.
Rehman was driving past in his private hire cab and, seeing the trouble, pulled up and picked up his brother.
The gang of around 10 youths gathered around his cab and attacked it.
Rehman drove around the block before heading back towards the gang, then in Calver Street, and driving into them.
Neil Ahuja, prosecuting, said: "He deliberately drove at the group, mounting the pavement in the process, knocking several of the group to the floor. One of the group was taken on to the bonnet, rolling off on to the floor."
The court heard the six youths who were hit suffered relatively minor injuries, including grazes, bruising and soreness.
Rehman, of Andrew Mulligan Close, Tunstall, was arrested on September 30 after handing himself in at a police station.
When interviewed he claimed the group had knives and axes and he had hit them while driving away.
David Iles, mitigating, said witnesses told police they saw Rehman's cab attacked.
He said: "These two inoffensive males were minding their own business. This hostile and intoxicated group attacked the taxi, one of them standing on the bonnet.
"The defendant was frightened by what he saw. His blood was up.
"He drove round in a circle and drove his car into the group. It can't have been very fast – in terms of harm there were no broken bones, wounds or blood."
Mr Iles said his client was "mortified" by what he had done, and handed the judge several character references.
Judge Paul Glenn said he accepted Rehman's cab was attacked, but his behaviour could not be condoned.
He said: "When you drove off that's where your involvement should have ended.
"The appropriate course would've been to notify the police. Instead you decided to take the law into your own hands.
"You drove at some speed at the group, deliberately swerved on to the pavement and struck a number of people like skittles."
Dave Currie, chairman of Stoke-on-Trent Private Hire Association, said: "No one in their right mind would condone behaviour like that, there's no defence for the man.
"If he was taking reasonable steps to get away from danger that would be one thing, but to go back defies comprehension."
Source; www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk
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