Taxi Driver Online

Murder accused ran 'taxi' service

One of the accused ran an illegal taxi service, the court heard
A man accused of murdering a father-of-four operated an unofficial taxi service in a city centre, a court heard on Tuesday.
Colin Cowie would offer people in the centre of Aberdeen lifts home at night in exchange for money, his cousin told the city's High Court.

Philip Eddie gave evidence at the trial of Cowie, 22, Shaun Paton, 20, Kevin Leslie, 24, and Colin Stewart, 22.

The men deny abducting and murdering Aberdeenshire man Dean Jamieson.

On the third day of their trial, Mr Eddie, 19, told the court Cowie would often drive around the city in his Vauxhall Astra and use the car at night to give people lifts home.

Partially clothed

Mr Eddie said this included Cowie's friends, but also people he did not know who would flag down the car.

Mr Eddie added that the most Cowie would charge people was £5. The court heard on the afternoon of April 3, 2006, Philip Eddie and his cousin had gone to Kevin Leslie's Aberdeen home.

"We were going to go for a game of pool, but ended up changing our minds," he said.

Cowie, Paton, Leslie and Stewart are alleged to have taken Mr Jamieson, 30, to Elrick Hill on the outskirts of Aberdeen, robbed and beaten him, forced him to remove items of clothing and attacked him with knives.

It is further alleged the men left Mr Jamieson, who was only partially clothed, to die in freezing conditions.

All men deny the charge and Leslie has lodged a special defence of self defence.

The trial continues.

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