Taxi Driver Online

Daily Mail (London)

August 30, 2007 Thursday

Taxi driver hit a police car while using his mobile

Jim Davis

A TAXI driver shunted into a police car while using his mobile phone, a court heard yesterday.

Brian Arthur denied causing the crash, claiming his hands-free kit was faulty and he was replacing his mobile on its in-car cradle when police spotted him holding it.

But his own defence witnesses two young female relatives admitted in court that he was using the phone and not paying attention.

The case comes as figures show almost 200 motorists across Scotland were caught using their mobiles during a police crackdown.

Arthur, 44, of Tamfourhill, Falkirk, denied driving carelessly in the town on September 20 last year by using a mobile phone and colliding with a car driven by Central Scotland police officer Moira Shand.

Constable Shand told the court she had pulled in behind parked cars to let Arthurs oncoming car pass her.

The taxi drivers vehicle hit her as he passed and made to turn right.

Arthur stopped and the officer told him that, as she was a police officer involved in an accident, she would have to call in her supervising officer to investigate.

The WPC added that Arthur asked me if I would have to tell my sergeant that he was on his mobile phone at the time of the accident.

Her colleague, PC Arthur McInnes, 45, said they were in an unmarked car. He said Arthur was on his mobile and must have turned too tight.

PC McInnes said the damage to both cars was slight.

Arthur told his trial he was driving two young relatives to a disco on the night of the accident.

He said he believed the police car had suddenly rolled backwards just as he was about to pass it and turn right into Arran Terrace.

He denied using his mobile phone and said: The hands-free wasnt working properly. Sometimes a bit of fluff can get in and cause a bad connection.

Arthur claimed he had only taken the phone off the hands-free cradle and then replaced it.

But his only two defence witnesses girl relatives aged ten and 13 said he was talking on his mobile.

The ten-year-old told Falkirk Sheriff Court: He wasnt really paying attention. He was on his mobile phone.

But both girls claimed the police car had caused the accident by rolling backwards.

Sheriff William Gallacher fined Arthur £135 and put four penalty points on his licence.

Yesterday, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said 199 drivers were caught during the mobile phone crackdown on Monday.
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Pity there aint a few more prosecutions for this as its still rife!

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

If he had pleaded guilty it would have been a 3 points and £80.00 fine.

But some cabbies know best.

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IDFIMH

What a tit. He's lucky that's all he got.

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