Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver loses licence after going wrong way along A419 - towards a police car

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... olice-car/

A TAXI driver who drove the wrong way down the A419 towards a police car has been banned from the roads.

Mustaf Mursal of Holdon Close in Bedminster sped down the opposite stretch of the dual carriageway between Cirencester and Cricklade on February 13.

A police officer pursuing another vehicle caught the 35-year-old heading right towards the cop car.

After taking evasive action, the officer arrested Mursal and took him into custody.

The motorist pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and received an 18 month driving ban and an 18 month community order.

He will have to do 120 hours of unpaid work, pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £95.

Plus, Mursal will also have to take an extended re-test when his disqualification ends and pass it before being allowed to drive again.

Another sat nav follower.

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IDFIMH

Indeed, so does that merit a dangerous driving charge and 18-month ban, community order, retest blah, blah?

Reading the description in the article, it could be anything from an honest mistake on unfamiliar roads, to a Police Camera Action joyrider-type scenario.

I'm assuming it's more the former than the latter, so to that extent the prosecution and penalty seems a tad excessive.

Of course, in reality it could have been more the latter than the former, which would explain the prosecution, but difficult to tell from the description in the article.

Yep, 100%.

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IDFIMH

Oh, silly me, I forgot how the system works. Honest mistake, and you're hung drawn and quartered, drive like an idiot and you're sent on a safari, 'misunderstood', or both

Let's look at the sentencing guidelines.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/of ... s-driving/

I think he falls between the 2nd and 3rd bands, and I struggle to see how he doesn't fall under this heading.

Prolonged bad driving involving deliberate disregard for safety of others;

He drove the wrong way down a duel carriage way for a distance, and didn't pull over at any time other than when the police flagged him down.

IMO he is lucky he didn't get custody or a suspended sentence order.

The extended test once ban is over is mandatory.

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IDFIMH

Indeed, if that *was* the case, but I can't see anything in the piece suggesting he drove down the road 'for a distance' - he could have just joined the road and it just so happened that the police car was there. And it could have been late at night with little traffic, thus once on the road not immediately obvious that he's cocked up.

I daresay you're right in view of the charge and punishment (or at least I hope you're right), but as I said there's not really much in the piece to confirm whether it's a simple error and a brief time on the road, or something more substantially reckless and culpable, which would justify the punishment.