Taxi Driver Online

Evening Gazette

December 18, 2006, Monday

HEADLINE: Ram rage

A taxi driver who rammed his estranged partner's car while she sat petrified in the driver's seat has been jailed for a year.

Kevin Ian Bennett has also wrecked his career with a three-year driving ban for his "obsessional" behaviour.

His ex-partner Anthea Reeve hid from him in women's changing rooms when he approached her in a gym on Middlesbrough Road, Stockton on June 30, Teesside Crown Court was told. She had already taken out a county court injunction against him after he pestered her, said prosecutor Richard Parsell.

Bennett, 37, left the gym, but reappeared outside. When she refused to speak to him and got into her car, he reversed his Fiat taxi to stop her getting out of her space. Then he deliberately drove the car into hers, ramming it into the driver's side, then the passenger side, the court heard.

"She says it was like being in a bumper car," added Mr Parsell. "She was quite terrified by what was going on. "She says she thought he was trying to kill her."

Miss Reeve had to kick her door open to get out and ran back to the gym. Bennett then attacked her car windows, lights and bodywork with a wheel brace. The events left her "totally and utterly devastated", the court heard.

Bennett, of Corncroft Mews, Middlesbrough, who is already serving a nine-month sentence for breaching the injunction, admitted dangerous driving and criminal damage. He told police the cars collided as he tried to stop her leaving the car park.

Robin Turton, defending, said: "He does accept the behaviour was completely and utterly unjustified. He was obsessed with her, infatuated with her."

Mr Turton said that at the time Bennett thought their relationship was still on, and a rumour that she was seeing another man "set the fires burning under his passions". "He just lost it", said Mr Turton, adding that law-abiding hard worker Bennett had lost his house and job from the piece of "temporary insanity".
....................................................