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Bristol Evening Post
June 18, 2007 Monday
Woman hangs out as taxi takes off
A Taxi driver sped off with a woman hanging half out of his open door after illegally picking her up, a court heard.
Somalian-born Amil Yusuf, 31, of Newtown, in Bristol, picked up siblings Luke and Tanya Bird in Prince Street despite not having the right kind of taxi licence.
When licensing officers from Bristol City Council pulled alongside as Tanya climbed in, he sped off with her hanging half in, half out of the car.
Bristol Magistrates' Court heard Yusuf was a private hire driver at the time and could only respond to calls made to him, rather than picking people up from the street.
Afterwards Ms Bird was left shaken but not hurt, the court heard.
At his sentencing, prosecutor Kemi Okunnu told the bench Yusuf was driving his silver Toyota Avensis saloon when it happened.
She said: "When Mr Yusuf was parked on a line in Prince Street, Luke and Tanya Bird approached him and asked him to take them to Bedminster.
"As Tanya climbed in, two licensing officers pulled up alongside.
"Mr Yusuf then sped off as Ms Bird was trying to get into the car."
The court heard she was left with her legs dangling out of the car as it sped off up the road.
Ms Okunnu said Yusuf stopped suddenly, then drove off again before swerving in front of another car. When interviewed afterwards, Yusuf alleged he had been working and simply stopped by the couple to make a phone call, she said.
Yusuf was convicted of dangerous driving, being uninsured to carry passengers he picked up from the street, and plying for hire as a Hackney carriage at a previous hearing.
The court heard Yusuf was a taxi driver and worked at the Ikea furniture store in Easton to make ends meet.
A Dutch national, he lives with his brother and otherwise had a clean driving record, the court was told.
The incident happened at 1.20am on July 2, 2006.
Mitigating, Yusuf's solicitor, David Barnes, asked the bench to give him a curfew or a suspended sentence, rather than sending him to jail.
He said: "The incident did happen late at night. No damage or injuries were caused.
"The person involved was extremely shaken up but not injured.
"I realise you have custody in mind but I would suggest a curfew order would be in order."
Sentencing, Terry Houlford, the chairman of the bench, told Yusuf: "You were in a job where you were dealing with the public, and, as such, you were in a position of trust with regard to the people whom you were driving, and you breached this trust.
"This incident could have had fatal results. The lady could have been killed."
But he said the mitigating circumstances were that Yusuf had a clean licence.
He handed Yusuf a four-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months.
If he commits another offence in that year, he could be taken back to court and jailed for both.
He was also disqualified from driving for a year at a previous hearing on May 18, and the bench confirmed the ban, saying he would have to sit an extended driving test if he wanted to get behind the wheel again.
Yusuf also received a six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am, during which time he will be tagged.
He was also told to pay the £400 prosecution costs.
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