Taxi Driver Online

‘Fantastic’ first time pass rate for Kirkcaldy taxis

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/traffi ... -1-5026407


Kirkcaldy taxi operators with Cllr. Carol Lindsay and Tom Henderson, Fleet Operations (Image: Fife Today)

Ninety-nine per cent of Kirkcaldy’s taxis and private car vehicles inspected to make sure they’re up to standard have passed first time.

The inspections, which took place in June, July and August, involved Fife Council’s Fleet Operations inspecting each vehicle for its annual test.

Councillor Carol Lindsay, convener of Fife Council’s regulation and licensing committee, said: “This is a fantastic achievement!

“It’s clear from these results that the taxi and private hire companies in Kirkcaldy take the public’s safety seriously by ensuring that their vehicles are maintained to a very high standard.

“Well done to everyone involved.”

Of the 134 vehicles tested, 133 passed first time.

The other one passed on re-test.

This is an increase on last year’s pass rate which saw 97 per cent of vehicles pass first time.

Any other council in the UK manage to test 100+ cars and find fault in only one of them?

And then conduct a photo op to publicise the results?


Meanwhile, back in the real world:

https://dev.cms.garage.co.uk/sites/defa ... ilures.png

In fact, the graphic above is from earlier this year, and the 62.6% MoT pass rate for Kirkcaldy is actually an improvement. In 2019 - when Kirkcaldy's taxi tests above found a 99% pass rate, as per the article above - the MoT pass rate for the town was just 55%.


https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/uncateg ... ot-passes/


And Kirkcaldy is always the worst place in the UK for MoT failures. And it's not some obscure secret either - it's been highlighted in the local press:

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-cour ... 5568RGyuF6

But, by some miracle, the town with the consistently worst MoT failure rate in the whole UK can somehow test 134 taxis and PHVs, and 133 pass with flying colours

This is what the recent Edinburgh agenda papers said:


So when Kirkcaldy and other Fife zones were getting 99/100% pass rates, barely half were passing in Edinburgh

And even when we were getting pass rates into the low 90s% in East Fife, councillors were portraying us as a danger to the public

Guess where you can see from Kirkcaldy if you look ten miles across the Firth of Forth?

Not quite so easy to see taxi inspection pass rates from across the water, but you'd think someone on Fife Council would have the gumption to question the figures. Unless, of course, any closer scrutiny would be inconvenient to the narrative

(The pass rate for Edinburgh so far this year is around 70%. But according to Fife councillors our 78% pass rate for the same period makes us public enemy No 1 )

...but just 22% got a clean bill of health during the Kirkcaldy/Leven on-street spotchecks a few months ago

Of nine cars checked:

- Two clean bills of health;

- Three warnings for no badge displayed, no tariff card, and no fire extinguisher (replacement brought to rank);

- One driver with expired badge, removed from rank. Plateholder warned for not ensuring driver had valid badge;

- Four plates removed re insecure battery, faulty tyres and warning lights on dashboard

No obvious direct relevance to the trade here, and I don't think this guy was ever a licensing councillor.

And probably of little interest to folks elsewhere, but I found it, er, interesting


Fife Labour councillor guilty of sexual activity with child, 15

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/co ... ity-child/

David Graham, 43, was found guilty by majority verdict after a trial.

A Fife Labour councillor has been found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old schoolgirl in his home, office and car over a period of more than six months.

A trial heard David Graham and the teenager would touch each other in his office at Methil docks in 2023.

The girl said they also twice engaged in sex acts at his Methilhill home and he touched her sexually in his car on the way back from lunch in St Andrews.

CCTV footage showed Graham kissing the girl outside a building in Kirkcaldy town centre after meeting for hot chocolate.

The trial heard Graham would buy the girl gifts – including a bracelet and necklace – and that they spent hours phoning and messaging each other.

In his closing arguments, prosecutor Jamie Hilland suggested Graham had groomed the girl.

Graham, 43, of Methilhill, was convicted of engaging in sexual activity with or towards an older child on various occasions between February and August 2023 at locations in Fife and Edinburgh and in his car.

He engaged in penetrative sexual activity with his victim, engaged in sexual activity with her, and caused her to participate in sexual activity.

Graham, a Labour councillor for Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages but currently suspended by the party, had denied the charge.

Prison warning after verdict

Following the guilty by majority verdict, Sheriff Robert More told Graham: “You have been found guilty of a charge containing a number of offences of significant gravity involving sexual behaviour towards a child who was 25 years your junior.

“That conduct was perpetrated over a period of at least six months.

“The charge to which you have been found guilty, I must advise you, is of such gravity that when the court comes to disposal, the imposition of prison must be uppermost in the court’s mind”.

The sheriff noted Graham has no previous convictions and for someone with no experience of custody, the court can only impose such a sentence where it concludes it is the only appropriate disposal in the circumstances of the case.

Graham has been put on the sex offenders register.

Fife Council leader, Councillor David Ross said: “The revelations at this trial have been truly shocking.

“This is appalling behaviour by anyone let alone an elected councillor and the sentence will reflect the seriousness of this case.

“Our sympathies go out to the young person involved.

It is impossible to express how badly David Graham has let down his colleagues and the people he was elected to represent.

“I expect him to be expelled from the Labour Party with immediate effect.”

Fife Council said it would be “inappropriate” to comment.

Councillors are party members, rather than authority employees so can only be dismissed by their party – although a three-month or longer prison term would disqualify them from office.

Should Graham be expelled from Labour, a by-election would be held within 12 weeks.

Tea towel at centre of evidence

The allegations came to light after a witness at a Fife bowling club claimed he saw Graham rubbing his elbow against the girl’s breasts and stroking her leg under a table.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, jurors were told a black and white chequered dish cloth was seized by police during a search of Graham’s personal office in the Fife Renewables Innovation Centre in August 2023.

Detective constable Steven Grant told the trial the girl stated Graham had used it to “clean up” after she had performed a sex act on him.

Forensic scientist Laura Preece said “extensive semen-staining was found on both sides”, matching Graham’s DNA.

Graham claimed he had “relieved” himself over a photograph of his then-partner and had used the towel to clean up.

But in a series of recorded video interviews played in court, the girl claimed sexual activity happened twice at Graham’s office and he would keep a tea towel there “just in case”.

The trial heard that on one occasion they touched each other sexually in the office after police officers had come in for an unrelated matter.

Graham told an officer the girl was there about a job at a cafe he owned.

A facilities manager at the building said Graham met the same girl on an earlier occasion for a school project.

She recalled them sitting in an “almost flirtatious meeting,” adding: “It did feel like it was a date rather than a meeting. I did not think it was right.”

Abused in councillor’s home

The girl said she twice engaged in sex acts with Graham at his home.

She said he made her a cup of tea when she went to see him the first time and as they sat on the living room couch chatting, he “kind of pulled me on top of him” before saying “we should go upstairs”.

She said they undressed each other in the bedroom and “I ended up lying on his bed on my back and he was on top of me”.

The girl said Graham kissed her and put his hands on her leg and private parts for a couple of minutes before he agreed to stop.

She said it was around midday and Graham’s then-fiancée was at work.

The girl said there was a second occasion she went to see him, this time in the morning and they engaged in sexual touching.

The girl, who is now aged 17, said the first sexual contact with Graham was in his car not long after she turned 15.

She said she would meet him in St Andrews and go to Greggs bakery for lunch, then stop in country roads in his BMW and he would grope her.

The trial heard the girl’s DNA was found in the car.

They met weekly in a cafe in Kirkcaldy’s Mercat shopping centre for hot chocolate.

Cafe staff members told the court they had seen them holding hands across a table and CCTV was shown of them in various locations walking hand-in-hand, embracing and kissing.

Graham denied impropriety other than one occasion in which they kissed.

He said: “It’s the one moment I considerably regret from this whole process.”

‘Not what it looked like’

Giving evidence, Graham described his relationship with the girl as a “close friendship” and denied having a sexual interest or grooming her.

He accepted some people might think it inappropriate but said: “It was not what it looked like, though”.

During the trial, Graham was acquitted of a second allegation he communicated indecently with the girl by sending sexual messages.

Sheriff More deferred sentencing until August 19 to obtain background reports and bail was continued meantime.

Police Scotland Detective Inspector Graham Watson said: “Graham is a manipulative individual who groomed and sexually abused his teenage victim.

“He was well-known and in a position of power when the offending took place.

“I would like to thank the female for her assistance in bringing him to justice.”

This was one of the articles published during the course of the trial - probably not worth reading if anyone's read the above, but here it is anyway

(Second photo too big to display on here, so just a link...)


Fife councillor tells child sex acts trial why semen-stained tea towel was in his office

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/co ... el-office/

Councillor David Graham said he had used the towel to 'clean up' after viewing pictures of his then-partner.



https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/wp-con ... 38x564.jpg

A Fife Labour councillor accused of engaging in sex acts with a 15-year-old schoolgirl has told a court a semen-stained tea towel found by police in his office was used when he “relieved himself” over a photo of his partner.

David Graham denied claims by the girl they touched each other’s private parts on occasions she went to his office at Methil docks in 2023.

During an ongoing trial, the 43-year-old also rejected allegations they twice engaged in sexual activity at his Methilhill home and that he would touch her sexually in his car on the way back from having lunch in St Andrews.

A jury has also been shown CCTV footage showing Graham kissing the girl outside a building in Kirkcaldy town centre, which the councillor accepted is a moment he regretted.

Graham is on trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court accused of engaging in sexual activity with or towards an older child on various occasions between February and August 2023 at locations in Fife and Edinburgh and in his car.

Graham, a Labour councillor for Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages but currently suspended by the party, denies the charge.

He has been acquitted of a second charge of communicating indecently with the child by sending sexual messages.

The allegations came to light after a witness at a Fife bowling club claimed he saw Graham rubbing his elbow against the girl’s breasts, brushing his hand against hers and stroking her leg under a table.

Stained tea towel

On the fourth day of evidence, jurors were told a black and white chequered dish cloth was seized by police from the top of some drawers during a search of Graham’s personal office in the Fife Renewables Innovation Centre in August 2023.

Detective constable Steven Grant told the trial the girl stated Graham had used it to “clean up” after she had performed a sex act on him.

Forensic scientist Laura Preece said “extensive semen-staining was found on both sides”, matching Graham’s DNA.

Asked by defence lawyer Chris Sneddon for an explanation, Graham said his then-partner used to send him photos of herself in various levels of undress.

“I was in the office quite close to when I was arrested – a Tuesday or Wednesday.

“I was there at 10.30(pm) doing statistics for bowling events and I relieved myself over a photograph of my partner.

“I used the towel.”

Graham said he had planned to wash the towel, which was shown to jurors from inside a package.

In a series of recorded video interviews shown earlier in the trial, the girl claimed sexual activity happened twice at Graham’s office and that he would keep a tea towel there “just in case”.

‘School project’

She said that on one occasion they touched each other sexually after police officers had come into his office to speak to the facilities manager on another matter.

He told them he was interviewing the girl for a job at his cafe.

Giving evidence, Graham said she had already been offered a job and came to meet him to discuss pay.

The facilities manager told the trial she left the building over an hour after the girl went into Graham’s office and police had left within half an hour of her leaving.

She said Graham had met the same girl on an earlier occasion to “look at a project” to do with the “day and the life of a councillor”.

The woman recalled them sitting in the reception area in an “almost flirtatious meeting,” adding: “David was sort of laughing and gesturing and she was sitting back on a chair and it was a very open pose she had.

“It did feel like it was a date rather than a meeting. I did not think it was right.”

Graham said he was helping with her school project after she had messaged him.

CCTV evidence

The trial heard Graham and the girl met in a cafe in Kirkcaldy‘s Mercat shopping centre for hot chocolate before walking her to another location in the town.

Two cafe staff members told the court they had seen them holding hands across the table.

Graham agreed this happened on “at least one occasion” if the girl was having a “particularly bad day”.

Jurors were shown CCTV of three occasions in which Graham and the girl were seen together outside the building they would walk to.

Police sergeant Kirsten Grieve, then in charge of the investigation, told the trial in one clip she could see them “walking hand in hand”.

The officer continued: “They have an embrace and they kiss a few times.

“They then break and she walks down and he walks back up and says ‘I love you’.”

In his evidence, Graham said he walked the girl to this location every Monday and would usually give her a hug but this time she kissed him possibly three or four times.

He said: “It just kind of happened. There was no plan in place”.

He said he phoned her later to say it could never happen again, adding: “It’s the one moment I considerably regret from this whole process.”

Asked about the “love you” comment, Graham said he did not recall it but said he may have said “love it” if she had said something funny.

Edinburgh Zoo

Footage of Graham and the girl from the shopping centre was also shown.

Detective constable Iain Syme told the trial it appeared they were holding hands, adding: “You see the two of them coming together and 100% that’s a kiss – not on the side of the cheek or ear or neck, in my opinion, that’s on the mouth”.

Defence lawyer Mr Sneddon suggested the officer could not tell if there was lip contact.

The jury was also shown footage of Graham and the girl at a shop in Edinburgh Zoo, where they had gone to celebrate his birthday.

Detective constable Sara Cameron said one clip showed the girl cuddle Graham before kissing him on the cheek and “cupping” his face.

She said another showed him buying an umbrella and Graham holding her by the waist as they walked up stairs into the zoo.

Graham said: “She gave me a kiss on the cheek in the shop and put her hand on my face and said, ‘happy birthday’.”

After buying the umbrella he had put his “hand out” to make sure the girl did not fall down the wet stairs, he said.

‘Close friendship’ not inappropriate

Graham described his relationship with the girl as a “close friendship” and denied having a sexual interest or grooming her.

He accepted some might think it inappropriate but said: “It was not what it looked like, though”.

Graham said the girl was aware he was planning to get married in October 2023 and that she even helped him “picking out the kilts”.

He said his impression was the girl was initially supportive of his wedding but later became “negative”.

He said he was unaware of the extent to which the girl had developed feelings for him until viewing her evidence in the trial.

The trial, before Sheriff Robert More, continues.

Doesn't look like he was on any committees of note, but he was on a number of school bodies.

And a member of Unite.

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IDFIMH

Presumably that was the Fife Council page you were looking at, Sussex...

Yes, I did think it looked a bit threadbare in terms of committees when I looked at it the other day, but thought that maybe some of the committee memberships had been removed because of it all

And would be interesting to have another look at it all with regard to what you say, but looks like the page has been taken down tonight

Not sure how that works, but according to the article he's still a councillor until he's sentenced, and would only be disqualified if he receives a sentence of at least three months...

Maybe he's formally resigned his seat or whatever since the verdict, so presumably we'll be hearing about that soon if it has happened

Interesting that the info was up on the site at 19.43pm last night.

But sometime after that the council decided they no longer operate an open and transparent policy.

_________________
IDFIMH

what council does ?

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Well the page is back up, but it appears in some of the councillor lists but not in others (eg by party) and he's now marked independent

https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/article ... vid-graham

But I wouldn't be surprised if the link above will change or disappear again - even while I was looking at it a couple of hours ago, they removed all the stuff about Unite membership etc, and some of the other stuff has also changed - remuneration, for example - it now says he owns some sort of cafe, but that wasn't in the earlier version

...and this is this morning's article in the Courier - full of platitudes and the like, but the stuff about whether he has to resign is at the bottom...

So basically until he's been sentenced we won't know whether he's been automatically disqualified as a councillor.

And I'd guess he's just hanging on hoping he can tough it out - obviously his whole life will have collapsed, so unless he gets the three month sentence then he might try to stay as a councillor until the next election to draw his salary

He wouldn't actually have to do much to draw his salary (about £20k or so) and he'd be able to keep his head down - a few years ago there was one case of a Fife councillor living abroad


Fife councillor guilty of sexual activity with child told to resign

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politic ... ld-resign/

Fife councillor David Graham, 43, was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

A Fife councillor convicted of having sexual activity with a 15-year-old schoolgirl in his Methil office is facing immediate calls to resign.

Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages Labour councillor David Graham, 43, was convicted at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

The trial heard Graham twice engaged in sex acts at his Methilhill home.

He engaged in penetrative sexual activity with his victim, engaged in sexual activity with her and caused her to participate in sexual activity.

Graham denied the charge and The Courier understands he had repeatedly told colleagues the allegations were untrue, leaving them “shocked” when they heard the exact details.

Sheriff Robert More said he will consider a potential prison sentence.

Following the conviction, senior politicians in Fife said he must resign.

This includes council leader and Fife Labour group chief David Ross.

‘Impossible to say how badly David Graham has let people down’

He told The Courier: “This is appalling behaviour by anyone let alone an elected councillor and the sentence will reflect the seriousness of this case.

“Our sympathies go out to the young person involved.

“It is impossible to express how badly David Graham has let down his colleagues and the people he was elected to represent.”

Graham was previously the Labour group whip on Fife Council and also the party’s health and social care spokesman. He was a member of the NHS Fife board in this capacity.

SNP opposition leader Councillor Craig Walker said: “We should all recognise and deeply admire the strength and courage of the young woman who saw this case through to the end.

“I sincerely hope that this outcome brings her and her family some measure of peace and the space to begin healing from the horrendous actions of David Graham.

“But the issue isn’t finished with. First and foremost, David Graham needs to go now. We can’t have a situation where a convicted child sex offender is sitting on the council.”

Does Fife councillor David Graham have to resign?

Councillors convicted of a sexual offence are not automatically forced to resign.

If Graham refuses to stand down, removal from office can only take place in certain circumstances.

Under Section 31 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, a councillor is disqualified only if they receive a prison sentence of three months or more.

Additionally, the Standards Commission can hear the case. It can impose a penalty, including disqualifying a councillor for up to five years.

Safeguarding concerns

Concerns have also been raised about potential safeguarding concerns should Graham choose to remain in his role.

Fife Council’s chief executive Ken Gourlay said that the safety and wellbeing of staff and those who use council services is the “first priority”.

He added: “As councillors are not employees of the council, the organisation’s disciplinary procedures do not apply to them – even when they are convicted of serious criminal offences.

“However I would reassure that all appropriate safeguards will be in place in the event that Cllr Graham chooses to continue in his role.”

The Courier has contacted Graham for comment and asked whether he intends to resign.

As I said, I'd guess he was off the committees he'd been on previously, even before the trial. The list of 'committees' was only the full council, and the only actual committee listed was the Levenmouth area committee (equating to the taxi zones). That's the one that deals with roads (and taxi ranks) etc, and I think every councillor in the particular area is automatically a member of the area committee. So even before the verdict the only committees listed were those he was automatically a member of as a councillor (ex officio, I think it's called )

(The area committees are I think based on the old district council areas before they were amalgamated into Fife Council, which is why the taxi trade is zoned, and in turn why we get the annual high dudgeon about the vehicle inspection comparisons )

Anyway, this is the section of the webpage which is now blank

Anyway, the neighbours have been taking it well

Ten arrests so far, and 40 police officers at the latest protest at the weekend.

Typical police understatement right at the end, though - nothing to see here

(Photos at the end far too big to display on here, but I've included them anyway because I didn't realise they were so big, and assuming anyone actually reads this then I doubt they'd bother clicking on individual photo links. Anyway, without even reading it properly, it all gives a flavour of the reaction )


Methil street blocked in fourth protest over convicted sex offender David Graham

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/53 ... id-graham/

Around 40 police officers drafted in after violence and arrests at previous protests.

Residents blocked a road in Methil as around 150 locals gathered for a fourth night of protest against convicted sex offender David Graham.

Around 40 police officers were drafted in from across the region for the latest demonstration on Friday evening.

Locals had initially gathered in Grieve Street before moving to nearby Main Street.

Some protesters staged a peaceful sit down on Main Street which blocked the road for a short period.

Meanwhile, others waved home-made placards and shouted in what was a noisy gathering.

Latest demonstration aimed at convicted sex offender David Graham

An innocent man had to be removed from a nearby home by police after he was mistakenly identified as a possible offender by some of the protesters.

The protesters had gathered close to the house on Pirnie Street where the convicted Fife Councillor had recently been staying.

Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages Labour councillor David Graham, 43, was last month found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a schoolgirl, 15.

He is due to be sentenced on August 19.

At least 12 police vans and cars were spotted on nearby streets as a large police operation was mounted.

It came amid fears of a possible repeat of the violence which occurred at last Saturday’s protest.

Sit-down protest blocked Main Street

A total of 10 people were arrested and charged after fighting and missiles were thrown during a protest last weekend.

Police lined Main Street containing many of the protesters to a grassed area in what was a boisterous but largely good natured affair.

However, tensions began rise later in the evening as the gathering swelled to around 150 locals.

A number of eggs were thrown towards police as anger continued to grow among the crowd.

Shortly after 9pm rumours started to circulate that another possible offender was housed nearby.

A short time later police were called to remove a male from a nearby address due to safety concerns.

A senior police officer at the scene later confirmed to the Courier that the “entirely innocent” individual had been mistakenly identified by the crowd.

The man was escorted by police officers through a crowd of protesters to a waiting van and taken away for his own safety.

Police out in force after violence at previous demonstration

Moments after the man was removed, around 15 extra officers were brought from vans waiting nearby to bolster the already large police presence.

Many protesters continued to demonstrate late on into the evening while a large police deployment remained at the scene.

No arrests were made during the evening with most of the protesters dispersing by 11pm.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On the evening of Friday a group gathered on Grieve Street in Methilhill.

“Officers attended, there were no arrests and the group later dispersed.”

I get the frustration in the community, and the utter disgust at what the councillor did, but let the court do its stuff and see where we are then.

It's also worth noting that the councillor may be living with people, or near people, who have no blame in this matter, and it's not fair for them to suffer when they have done nothing wrong.

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IDFIMH