| Taxi Driver Online http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/ |
|
| Rangers fan refused Taxi license http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7296 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | JD [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Rangers fan refused Taxi license |
Evening Times (Glasgow) November 9, 2007 Friday Thug fails in taxi bid after attack on Lennon A RANGERS fan who attacked Celtic legend Neil Lennon almost four years ago has been refused a taxi driver's licence. Thomas Ferrie wound down his window and spat at the footballer's Mercedes during an M8 road-rage incident. And the attack came back to haunt Ferrie when he appeared before Glasgow City Council's licensing court yesterday. The 39-year-old's application for a private hire permit was knocked back by a panel of councillors after they heard details of the incident from police. Chief Inspector Stuart Neill told the panel, who decide on applications, that the attack, between junctions 15 and 14 of the M8 in February 2004, involved a "highprofile professional footballer". Mr Neill did not name Mr Lennon, but said: "The footballer was in his car with his 11-year-old daughter and his girlfriend. Mr Ferrie wound down his window and shouted and swore. He was also seen giving the V-sign and spitting." Mr Lennon pulled off the motorway at the first available junction and called the cops when he got home. His daughter was said to have been traumatised. When traced by police and hauled in for interview, Ferrie is said to have told officers: "It was foolish of me. I gave him the fingers, but I did not spit at him. "I did it because he was a Celtic player, but I'm not a bigot." Mr Ferrie, of Girvan Street, Riddrie, was fined GBP500 for a breach of the peace following the attack. He was later handed a life-time ban from Ibrox by Rangers chiefs. Paul Carey, one of the councillors on the panel, asked Ferrie how he would feel if he was a taxi driver and someone drove up beside him and did similar. Ferrie did not respond and and declined to comment in support of his application. After meeting behind closed doors, councillors knocked back the licence bid. At the time of the court hearing over the attack, Ferrie was a car salesman for Arnold Clark. It is standard practice for police to reveal past convictions of licensing applicants to the council. In the most serious cases, where it is considered there is a threat to public safety, police will also make a formal objection to the licence. In Mr Ferrie's case they did not object. A City Chambers insider said: "Even though Mr Lennon was involved, police treated the case like any other. "The seriousness of the crime didn't merit a formal objection and ultimately the decision was up to the councillors. "They didn't think he was suitable to hold a private hire licence because it was effectively a road-rage attack." _______________________________ |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|