Taxi Driver Online

Sunderland taxi driver fights to clear his name after drink-drive conviction



A CONVICTED drink-driver has vowed to continue to drive his taxi while he fights to clear his name.

Self-employed cabbie Chris Bateman was found guilty of drink-driving at almost three times the legal limit in November. He registered a reading of 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the legal limit being 35 microgrammes. He was not caught behind the wheel of the car.

As reported in yesterday’s Echo, Sunderland magistrates this week sentenced the 49-year-old, of Attwood Grove, Southwick, to a one-year community order for the offence.

However, the bench agreed to pleas from Bateman’s solicitor to suspend the 24-month driving ban until he can appeal his conviction before a crown court judge.

Sunderland City Council said yesterday it has the power to suspend or revoke a taxi driver’s licence, and the local authority confirmed it had been contacted by Bateman with regards to his case.

Bateman, though, says he will continue to drive his cab.

“Of course I’m driving my taxi,” he told the Echo today. “I have emailed licensing explaining the situation that I’m in. But yes, I’m still driving my car.”

The cabbie of 28 years, who had a clean licence until his conviction in November, was arrested on June 26. But he claims the timings of the night in question were crucial.

Prosecutor Ian Simpson told the court Bateman had arrived at the home of his ex-partner at 10pm. She attempted to calm him down, after he became abusive and started to shout.

He was told to come back when sober, Mr Simpson said, and got into his Volkswagen Passat and drove off.

Mr Simpson said that after police were called, officers went to the Buffs club, in Old Mill Road, Southwick, and spoke to Bateman at 10.30pm.

However, Bateman claims it was 11.35pm when they arrived at the club, where he had parked up his car for the evening at 10.05pm.

“At that point I started drinking,” he said. “The person who served me behind the bar said that I did not drink alcohol until I returned to the Buffs at 10.05pm He came to court to give evidence.

“My ex-partner thought I had drank because she could smell it, but I only had two pints of shandy much earlier in the evening.”

Bateman says he drank ‘eight or nine pints’ before police arrived. He was arrested on suspicion of assault, of which he was later cleared. And it was not until 11.45, he said, that police decided to breathalyse him.

“It was the first time I’d been arrested,” the dad-of-two said. “I’ve never had trouble with the police in all of my life.”

Bateman’s legal team has submitted an appeal to the crown court, which he believes will be heard at the end of February.

“It’s actually one of the biggest fights of my life,” he added. “I am defending my rights. This was clear-cut drink-driving. It’s not quite right.”

source: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crim ... -1-7038551

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

Flipping heck........8/9 pints in one and a half hours

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

Just how quick is alcohol absorbed by the blood? How long, after drinking, would it be to get a reading of 97mg?

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Grandad,

They police have very good experts that can tell if you were over the limit hours before, even if you say you have drunk lots since you stopped driving.

Can't see the fella winning.

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IDFIMH

That's a pint every ten minutes not including going to the bar and toilet breaks. That's some thirst the guy had.

When I fill in my licence renewal they always ask on the form what is your/my average weekly consumption of alcohol. My thoughts on the basis of this admission of extreme drinking are..........Would it apart from the actual drinking - make him an unfit for purpose driver?



Apart from the above.......Ditto on that one anyway.

_________________
Common sense........is just not that Common.

Drink-driving Sunderland taxi driver allowed to keep his licence



A TAXI driver convicted of drink-driving has been allowed to stay on the roads – despite being caught almost three times the legal alcohol limit.

Six months after Christopher Bateman was caught driving under the influence, he can still get behind the wheel after magistrates suspended his two-year driving ban.

Bateman, 49, was arrested and charged in June, then convicted at a trial on November 7, and the case was adjourned for probation reports until this week, where he was handed a 24-month disqualification from getting behind the wheel.

However, magistrates agreed to a plea from Bateman’s solicitor Anna Haq to suspend the ban until his appeal against the conviction and sentence can be heard by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court on a date yet to be determined.

It means Bateman is free to drive around Sunderland, despite his high reading of 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.

Prosecutor Ian Simpson told Sunderland magistrates how Bateman had arrived at the home of his ex-partner at 10pm on June 26, last year. She attempted to calm him down, after he became abusive and started to shout.

He was told to come back when sober, Mr Simpson said, and got into his Volkswagen Passat and drove off.

Mr Simpson said that after police were called, officers went to the Buffs club, in Old Mill Road, Southwick, and spoke to Bateman at 10.30pm.

“They noted his eyes were glazed and he was drunk,” Mr Simpson said. “He was initially arrested on suspicion of assault, but on noticing his breath smelled of alcohol, he was later arrested for driving with excess alcohol.”

Bateman failed a breath test at the police station and told officers that he had been in the Buffs club, where he had drank a pint of shandy at 8pm, followed by another at 9.45pm. He said he had then driven home to Attwood Grove, Southwick, to collect his phone, before driving back to the club and parked the car, then drank five pints of lager.

Anna Haq, defending, said: “Mr Bateman denied the offence and continues to do so. I have handed in an appeal this morning. He is a hard-working man. He is a taxi driver. It’s the first time he has had any involvement with the police or with the courts. I would ask you to take that into consideration and suspend the disqualification. ”

Aside from his driving ban, Bateman was also handed a 12-month community order and told to carry out 130 hours of unpaid work, and pay £120 costs and £60 victim surcharge.

Sunderland City Council, which has the power to suspend or revoke a taxi driver’s licence with immediate effect if they are found guilty of drink-driving, would not confirm whether or not Bateman had informed them of his conviction.

Coun Michael Mordey, portfolio holder for city services, said: “All taxi drivers licensed by this council have the legal responsibility to make us aware of any convictions against them. A driver convicted of drink-driving will be reported to the Regulatory Committee, who have the power to suspend or revoke a taxi driver’s licence with immediate effect.

“The decision of the committee is entirely independent of the outcome of any appeal that a driver may bring against a sentence of a Magistrates’ Court.”

Sarah-Jane Martin, spokeswoman from Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Anyone who drinks and drives should expect to face the consequences, no matter who they are or what they do for a living. Drink-driving remains one of the biggest killers on our roads, and allowing offenders to escape a ban sends out the wrong message.”

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crim ... -1-7036942

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

Consistent with his evidence then!

_________________
Grandad,

There's 2 units in a pint of lager, it takes the body one hour to break down 1 unit of alcohol. In essence if he's had five pints it's going to take his body ten hours to process the alcohol.

The above figures are based on 3.2% strength lager.

There is also the question as to how quickly the body absorbs alcohol.

This is why some experts earn very nicely out of these cases.

_________________
IDFIMH

Minicab driver gets drink-drive conviction quashed after CCTV proves off-duty drinking defence

Cabbie Chris Bateman is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel after clearing his name of a drink-driving conviction.

The self-employed Minicab driver was arrested last June and convicted after a trial in November.

The 49-year-old, of Attwood Grove, Southwick, was banned from driving for two years but magistrates agreed to suspend the disqualification pending the outcome of an appeal.

Now he has seen his conviction quashed at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.

“I am over the moon,” he said.

“I had always believed in myself and a lot of my colleagues and friends believed in me too.”

The cabbie of 28 years, who had a clean licence until his conviction, had claimed the timings of the night in question were crucial.

Prosecutor Ian Simpson told city magistrates in November that Mr Bateman had arrived at the home of his ex-partner at 10pm on June 26 last year, when he had become abusive before driving off.

Police who went to the Buffs club in Old Mill Road, Southwick, spoke to Mr Bateman at 10.30pm and noted he was drunk.

He was charged after failing a breath test at the police station.

But Mr Bateman had maintained he was not spoken to by officers until 11.35pm, by which time he had been drinking for an hour-and-a-half.

“I consumed around eight pints before the police came into the club,” he said.

“CCTV at the club clearly shows me entering the club at 10.05pm and shows how many times I bought drinks.”

Now he is looking forward to getting back to work.

“My life has been on hold for 11 months,” he said.

“My Minicab licence was revoked and the DVLA required me to send my licence away.

“Now my driving licence is being returned, my Minicab badges are being returned, my community order has been cancelled and my fine is being returned.”

Mr Bateman was also sentenced to do 130 hours unpaid work as part of his sentence and is angry that he was still pursued about doing it despite making it clear his appeal was pending.

“I was given 130 hours community service and they have chased me and chased me and chased me,” he said.

“Why should you have to do the community service when you are appealing against your conviction?

“I said to them ‘I am fighting that on appeal’ but they just said I still had to do the hours.”

A Sunderland City Council spokesman confirmed the authority was looking into the case with a view to allowing him to resume work.

“We are making enquiries of the court as to the status of Mr. Bateman’s appeal against his conviction.

“If he has, as reported, been successful in his appeal, he will be entitled to retain the Private Hire Driver’s licence issued to him by the city council.”

source: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crim ... -1-7248180

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

Yeah right on.

More bollocks spouted by the road safety campaigners that drink driving kills so many people. According to figures I've seen on Pepipoo, drunk drivers are responsible for about 7% of road deaths, a similar number to those caused by drivers exceeding the speed limit. 2% of road deaths are caused by police drivers.

The bloke didn't drink and drive, so was rightfully found not guilty. If he is a habitual drinker, then that's a different matter for licencing to look at.