Judge hits out at disgraced Fenham taxi driver as he fights for his licence Shamed cabbie Syed Miah insists he should be free to ferry passengers around despite having a string of convictions. Banned taxi driver Syed Miah failed in his bid Banned taxi driver Syed Miah failed in his bid
A shamed cabbie insists he should be free to ferry passengers around despite having a string of convictions.
Disgraced Syed Miah was fighting to have his hackney driver licence reinstated after it was revoked.
A court heard the married father-of-three had:
• been cautioned for soliciting for prostitution
• been caught speeding, been convicted of driving
• without due care and attention, driving through a red light
• and had fraudulently claimed more than £3,000 in council tax benefit.
But despite this he maintained he was a fit and proper person to drive taxi passengers around.
The 47-year-old from Paignton Avenue, Fenham, Newcastle, appealed against the decision of Durham County Council’s licensing committee and Consett Magistrates’ Court to deprive him of his licence.
But the Recorder of Durham Judge Christopher Prince declared the part-time chef “thoroughly dishonest” and threw out the appeal.
The court heard Miah was cautioned in March 2004 for soliciting a woman for prostitution and was then convicted of breaking the speed limit in April 2005 – but Miah was still granted a hackney carriage licence by Durham County Council in 2007.
It was in 2011 he was convicted of driving without due care and attention when he was going too fast and crashed into another car.
And then when driving in Durham in January of last year, he claims two sets of traffic lights “confused” him and led to him ignoring a red signal. He was convicted of failing to comply with a traffic signal.
Rebecca Brown, prosecuting on behalf of the authority, said Miah was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence. She added following his convictions the council showed “considerable mercy” by issuing a written warning and asking Miah to complete a Driving Standards Agency course.
But the tipping point for officials came when the caution for benefit fraud emerged.
Working full time as a chef, Miah claimed £3,200 of council tax benefit fraudulently between June 2009 and March 2012 by failing to declare his taxi work.
Sergeant Tim Robson, of Durham Police, handed in a statement setting out his concerns about Miah.
It said: “The culmination of these offences caused me to have grave concerns over the continuance of Mr Miah’s hackney licence and I expressed these concerns to the committee.
“The decision of the committee was to revoke the hackney licence. I am now aware of another offence of council tax benefit fraud for which Newcastle City Council’s Benefit Fraud Team cautioned Mr Miah for the offence of benefit fraud on July 9 2012.
“This additional offence adds greatly to my concerns and I am of the opinion that Mr Miah is not a fit and proper person to hold a hackney carriage licence.”
Giving evidence, Miah, said he was struggling financially and needed the licence to provide for his wife and three children.
On throwing out the appeal, Judge Prince said: “Durham County Council has got a clear policy they don’t let thoroughly dishonest people have taxi licences.
“You, Mr Miah, have admitted you are a thoroughly dishonest person. From June 2009 to March 2012 you were stealing �100 per month from the public purse in housing benefits.
“I use the word theft so that you will fully understand what I mean – this was benefit fraud.
“You began that fraud just five months after you were given that taxi licence.”
source:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... am-3874663
Login
Register
FAQ
THEN AGAIN MP