Oxford cabbies brawl over queue jumping
A PAIR of taxi drivers who had to be pulled apart by a Spanish tourist after scuffling outside Oxford Train Station have agreed to put their differences behind them.
Mohammed Tasib was acquitted of assaulting Sajjad Rana at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday after the latter had accused his fellow cabbie of punching him in the face.
Mr Rana’s spectacles were smashed in the confrontation and he needed hospital treatment to remove glass from his eye.
Mr Tasib denied assault by beating and criminal damage and said he was acting in self-defence.
As magistrates deliberated for more than two hours the pair began chatting on the concourse and after the not-guilty verdicts left the courtroom with their arms around each other.
Mr Rana said he would meet Mr Tasib for coffee at the train station tomorrow and show a united front to all the other cab drivers to quash any rumours.
The row, which took place at about midday on July 6, flared when Mr Tasib was judged to have pushed to the front of the queue of waiting taxis.
Mr Rana admitted driving in front of Mr Tasib to “remonstrate” with him and told the trial: “He rushed at me and hit the side of me, on the right-hand side, just above my eye.
“He hit me about three or four times. He broke my glasses and a large piece of glass was lodged inside my eye.”
Mr Tasib, a 53-year-old father-of-four from Wilkins Road, Cowley, said Mr Rana had been the aggressor and he acted to protect himself.
He said: “When he got close enough to me I saw the look in his eyes and his hand was clenched to punch me and I, in self-defence, put my hands on his chest to push him away.
“As soon as I tried to push him away he took a punch at me, which hit me on my arms.
“After he threw that punch I just, out of reaction, started throwing punches, and he was trying to throw punches at me.”
Witnesses for each side said they saw different men acting as the aggressor.
Prosecution witness Selina Dobson said the altercation was only ended when a Spanish tourist stepped in to separate the drivers.
After the verdicts, defence advocate Warwick Clarke told the magistrates: “There has been a rapprochement. It’s probably one of the very few times I’ve seen this.”
Chairman of magistrates Roger Clarke said: “Very well done, whoever made the first step.”
source: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/
