Bristol taxi driver sped away with man on the bonnetA MAN stands with his arms outstretched in front of a taxi after a row over a fare.
Moments later driver Muhammad Javed accelerated into him, carrying him along on the bonnet of the cab for about 30 yards.
He then drove off leaving the man on the floor with serious head injuries.
The dramatic incident in Stokes Croft was captured on CCTV cameras.
Javed, 45, was jailed for six months at Bristol Crown Court.
The injured man, Huw Lloyd, suffered head injuries and a fractured hand in the incident. Members of the public and his friend Polly Nicalaous rushed to his side as he lay motionless in the road.
The incident took place on the April 25th bank holiday during a night out. Mr Lloyd and Miss Nicalaous had taken the taxi from Mr Wolf's nightclub off Baldwin Street to Stokes Croft at 3am before the row started.
Eric Waley, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Mr Lloyd and Miss Nicalaous had to tap on the window of Javed's taxi to wake him.
"They asked the defendant if he could take them to Cromwell Road for £7 but he said he would do it on the meter," he said.
"When the meter reached £6 they asked to be let out but the defendant continued to drive. Miss Nicalaous said they would call the police unless he stopped and he pulled over in Stokes Croft where the fare showed £8. They said they would only pay him £5 because they asked him to stop and he hadn't. They said he was arguing and being aggressive."
Playing CCTV evidence of the incident to the court, Mr Waley continued: "He (Javed) got out of his taxi seemed to put his arm out to stop them leaving and is then seen to throw a punch at Mr Lloyd who seems to block it with his arm.
"The defendant ran back to his car. Mr Lloyd left but then returned to take a photo on his Blackberry phone. This really aggravated the defendant. He started the engine and jolted the car forward on a couple of occasions causing Mr Lloyd to put his hands on the bonnet.
"Then a black cloud of dust can be seen from the wheels spinning where he clearly has his foot down on the accelerator. He drove into Mr Lloyd causing him to go onto the bonnet and when he fell off he hit his head on the floor."
Mr Waley added: "He was taken to the BRI where he was treated for cuts to his head and a fractured hand that had to be put in plaster."
Javed, 45 of Thicket Avenue, Fishponds, admitted dangerous driving and assault causing actual bodily harm. The defendant, who had no previous convictions, was jailed for six months and banned from the road for two years.
Timothy Rose, defending, said his client was scared during the row.
He had reacted in what was an "increasing panic," and that there had been "a degree of provocation," he added.
Mr Rose accepted the taxi was used as a weapon but said there was no pre-meditation in the act.
He said: "Mr Javed has lived here for 21 years. He has recently moved his wife and two young children over from Pakistan and frankly without him they will have no support, husband or father-figure.
"The result of this is he will lose his job. He can not expect to get his taxi licence back from the licensing authority."
Recorder Simon Foster told Javed: "It is quite plain that you deliberately used your taxi as a weapon.
"You drove deliberately at someone stood right in front of your vehicle. He was upon the bonnet of your car and carried down the road for some 25 metres before falling off and your vehicle disappeared around the corner.
"It is in my mind extraordinary that there was not more injuries caused. They could have been horrendous."
source: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-taxi-driver-sped-away-man-bonnet/story-13909333-detail/story.html
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