Taxi Driver Online

5 Mar 2008

Racist cabbie faces the sack

A TAXI driver faces losing his livelihood after being convicted of racially
abusing a woman motorist.

Tahir Mahmood was told by a judge: "You are a professional driver. It is
wrong anyway to abuse other drivers, even worse to use racist abuse."

The 37-year-old, of Lemington Street, Blackburn, had denied a charge of
racially aggravated threatening behaviour, but a jury convicted him
following trial.

Preston Crown Court had heard that the case arose from an incident in
September 2006 in the Preston New Road area of Blackburn.

The prosecution said that Mahmood gave the white female driver racial abuse.

At one stage while she was telephoning the police, he started taking
photos of her on his phone, saying that he knew her face and where she
lived, the court heard At his trial, Mahmood said it had merely been a
verbal argument and that he had not been racist.

Miss Virginia Hayton, defending, told the sentencing hearing that he hoped
to get his taxi driver's badge back.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is due to hold a meeting to discuss the
matter later this month.

In addition to being ordered to carry out 80 hours' unpaid work, Mahmood
was told he would have to pay £500 prosecution costs.

Judge Andrew Gilbart QC also told him: "You got involved in an altercation
with another driver. Both of you were unreasonable. I think both of you
abused the other, but you went too far.

"You also used racist abuse and you intimidated the other driver.

"I think you are a decent man, that's the impression given by your
references. You let your emotions run away with you.

"Racism is completely unacceptable. You know that through the abuse you
have received in your work as a taxi driver, from people who think it's
alright to use racist language."

Source: Blackburn Citizen
----------
Disclaimer
These press articles are intended for informational purposes only.
Statements and opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the original Publisher.
I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of these articles, and therefore I am not liable for any information contained therein.
Where possible, the Publisher and the source are documented within each article.
Any author that holds legal copyright, and objects to their material being posted, may request that it be removed and any future material excluded.