Taxi driver who knocked down pedestrians 'like bowling pins' in central Cardiff has sentence appeal rejected Majid Rehman was jailed after driving his car at six rail workers and two bystanders outside Cardiff Central train station in March 2012 The aftermath of Majid Rehman's taxi rampage in Wood Street, Cardiff The aftermath of Majid Rehman's taxi rampage in Wood Street, Cardiff
A taxi driver who deliberately knocked down eight pedestrians “like bowling pins” in Cardiff city centre has had an appeal against the length of his sentence rejected.
On March 27 last year Majid Rehman drove his car at six rail workers and two “innocent bystanders” injuring them all.
One man was dragged under his cab and had to have skin grafts for burn and friction injuries to his body.
Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November last year the 30-year-old married man was unanimously convicted of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of wounding with intent and five charges of intending to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
He had already pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving.
Judge Philips Richards subsequently jailed him for 15 years saying the lengthy term should act as a warning to any other person who considers using a car as a weapon.
Today, at the same court, three High Court judges listened to his appeal to have his sentenced reduced.
Lord Justice Pitchford QC, Mr Justice Macduff and Mr Justice Jeremy Baker were told by Rehman’s barrister the sentence was “simply too long”.
Nicholas Gareth Jones admitted there were aggravating factors which could have led the original judge to hand out the 15 year term – including that Rehman had a previous conviction for criminal damage after he rammed his car into his employers over a dispute over wages – but added there were also mitigating factors.
“It was a single act, it was in isolation and there was a lack of any significant premeditation,” he said.
Rehman’s trial head how he had been provoked after he was involved in a dispute with the rail workers in which he had suffered racial abuse and had been punched in the chest moments before mowing down the eight men.
Mr Jones also cited a case from 2001 in which a man who rammed his car into a number of police patrol cars, injuring six officers, was jailed for five years.
But the panel of High Court judges rejected the appeal saying while the 2001 case had similarities, it was significantly different.
Mr Justice Macduff said: “There was, albeit to a limited extent, premeditation as there was a gap in time between the attack and the offence.”
He added: “It could have easily been the case that one person, if not more, could have died in this act. That is the measure of how serious this case was.”
source:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... wn-5320503
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