Taxi Driver Online

Senior police officer called taxi driver 'lying [edited by admin]'

A senior police officer racially abused a taxi driver, after a night out celebrating his promotion to chief inspector calling him ''a lying [edited by admin] -------'' after a row over a fare, a court heard.


Detective Inspector Gary Tomlinson, 47, was returning home from a night out in Derby to celebrate promotion when he allegedly insulted Mohammed Anwar, who accused him of failing to pay the last 90p of his fare.

Chesterfield Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Anwar recorded 90 seconds of the alleged tirade on his mobile phone, but the recording did not include any racial abuse.

Mr Anwar told the court: ''My passenger gave me £25 in a £20 note and a £5 note and then he opened the door. As he was making his way out I reminded him that he owed another 90p.

''He reacted very badly and he said that he gave me £40, but I said 'I'm sorry, its not £40, its £25 you gave me'.

''From there he used a racial word and was using bad language. He said 'I am a police officer and I am going to do you'. He said 'You are a lying -------, you're a lying [edited by admin] -------, you are'.

''I was scared, I was just trying to defend myself as it was only £25 he gave me. I was trying to be there mentally while someone was kicking and punching the (taxi partition) screen.

''I held up my mobile phone (to record the abuse) because it was a taxi driver's word against that of a senior police officer and no-one was going to believe a taxi driver.

''He said 'Put that away you ------'.''

Tomlinson, of Hartshorne, Derbyshire, denies racially aggravated harassment and an alternative charge of using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

The alleged incident happened in Hartshorne, in the early hours of July 31 last year.

Tomlinson, of Derbyshire Constabulary, was celebrating an imminent promotion to Detective Chief Inspector.

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I wonder if that policeman would have reacted slightly differently if the cab had audio CCTV?

Whatever the outcome though, he will not rise any higher in the force, and for that we can be grateful.

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IDFIMH

Officer guilty of driver threat

The career of a Derbyshire former Special Branch detective was in ruins after he was found guilty of threatening an Asian taxi driver. Det Insp Gary Tomlinson, 47, was also accused by Mohammed Anwar of calling him a "a lying [edited by admin] [edited by admin]". But he was cleared of racially abusing the taxi driver in a row over a fare.

A district judge at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £250 prosecution costs. Tomlinson, of Hartshorne, Derbyshire, was celebrating an imminent promotion to Detective Chief Inspector. He now faces the conclusion of an internal disciplinary inquiry by the police force and a force spokesman said his job was under review.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Goodwin said: "Derbyshire Constabulary will not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind by any of its employees. "I am disappointed that a senior police officer of this force saw fit to conduct himself in such an unacceptable way that resulted in today's guilty verdict."

The judge told Tomlinson: "How sad it is that a man who has had such an impeccable police career should find himself in the position that you do after what had been a happy celebration and at a stage in your life where everything seemed to be rosy." But there were a "number of inconsistencies" in Mr Anwar's evidence, he said.

The court heard that Tomlinson had drunk several pints of bitter, half a glass of champagne and a couple of lagers during a night out with colleagues when he allegedly insulted Anwar, who accused him of failing to pay the last 90p of his fare.

Tomlinson, a married father-of-five, was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment but was convicted of an alternative charge of using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

A police officer for 21 years, the former head of Special Branch in Derbyshire told the court his promotion had been cancelled, he had been suspended and his job was on the line.

Jonathan Taaffe, who represents Tomlinson, said his client did not wish to comment after the hearing. He said: "This case should never have been brought before the courts."

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IDFIMH

And if his client had kept his big trap shut, then the case would never have been brought.

Live by the sword you die by the sword.

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IDFIMH

Taxi threats cop's career in tatters

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail/ ... ?id=476030

THE CAREER of a senior police officer from South Derbyshire is in ruins today following his conviction for threatening a taxi driver.

Detective Inspector Gary Tomlinson, from Hartshorne, faces a disciplinary inquiry by Derbyshire Constabulary after being found guilty of using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

However, father of five Tomlinson, 47, was cleared of an additional charge of racially abusing taxi driver Mohammed Anwar in a row over the fare home after a night out in Derby to celebrate his imminent promotion to Detective Chief Inspector.

Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court heard that Tomlinson, a police officer for 21 years and the former head of Special Branch in Derbyshire, had been stripped of his promotion and suspended from his job after the incident in Hartshorne on July 31 last year.

District Judge Morris Cooper told Tomlinson: “How sad it is that a man who has had such an impeccable police career should find himself in the position that you do after what had been a happy celebration and at a stage in your life where everything seemed to be rosy.

“It would be wrong to disregard the devastating impact that this has had on your personal life and your professional career.”

The court heard that Tomlinson had drunk several pints of bitter, half a glass of champagne and two lagers during a night out with colleagues when he allegedly insulted Mr Anwar, who accused him of failing to pay the last 90p of his fare.

The taxi driver claimed Tomlinson had called him ‘a lying P*** b******’ but the charge of racial harassment was dismissed after the judge said there were ‘a number of inconsistencies’ in Mr Anwar’s evidence.

He told Tomlinson: “In the spectrum of criminal offences both these charges are towards the lower end, but in this context they are extremely serious matters from a professional point of view.

“It is important in a case of this nature for any court to remind itself that the rule of law must stand and that a defendant, whatever his role or job in society, can be treated equally.”

Tomlinson was handed a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 prosecution costs.

He declined to comment after leaving court but his lawyer, Jonathan Taafe, said: “Given the findings of the judge this matter should have been dealt with without the need for the court process.”

Speaking after the hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Alan Goodwin said Tomlinson’s position with the force would be reviewed as a result of his conviction.

He said: “Derbyshire Constabulary will not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind by any of its employees.

“I am disappointed that a senior police officer of this force saw fit to conduct himself in such an unacceptable way that resulted in today’s guilty verdict but his prosecution should reassure the public that any allegation of criminal conduct is taken very seriously and will be investigated thoroughly.”

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin