Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver accused of seriously injuring passengers in crash

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... g-20775441

Anthony Beck is accused of seriously injuring an adult and a child by dangerous driving


Image: Jason Roberts Photography/Liverpool Echo

A taxi driver has been charged with causing serious injuries to two passengers in a taxi after a crash in Old Swan.

Anthony Beck is alleged to have driven a blue London Taxi dangerously on December 29, 2019, leaving passengers injured.

The crash took place on Edge Lane at around 1.50pm and caused a partial closure of the carriageway while emergency services attended the scene.

Beck has since been charged with two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to a man and a child, who the ECHO understands were passengers in the taxi.

The 51-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court this morning.

Today's hearing was adjourned until June 23, when Beck will enter his pleas at the same court.

Beck, of Forest Walk, Runcorn, has been remanded into custody until that date.

Remanded in custody? Serious crime alleged, obviously, but seems unusual for this kind of thing?

And incident took place about a year-and-a-half ago? Pandemic and all that, but, you know...

maybe injury solicitors now acting on behalf of victims and accusations are recent ? Or a new witness has come forward with a different version of events ?



whilst there's quite a lot of damage to vehicle the passenger compartment looks fairly intact so not sure quite how serious the injuries were but certainly not investigated as life threatening at the time by the looks of things

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You could be right that more stuff has come to light, but that sounds more like civil stuff than criminal, and he's been remanded in custody

I mean, it can't just be whiplash

for the passengers to get compo their solicitors need him to be convicted which makes the compo claim more a straightforward negotiation as to how much

I am sure if they had been injured in the crash the insurers would have paid out for the injuries but that amount could go up considerably if it could be proven he was driving dangerously

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Defo more to this that meets the eye.

Folks don't get remanded in custody for this alleged crime, unless they are already in custody, or they have intimidated witnesses, or are a flight risk.

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IDFIMH

Not sure about that.

A civil claim need only pass the balance of probabilities test, i.e. 51% sure.

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IDFIMH

I was once told by a solicitor that if they can get a conviction then there is usually a larger compensation paid

It might also be that the insurance has settled but they are after a criminal injuries payout

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No doubt the insurance and civil claims would be easier if the driver was prosecuted and convicted.

But you make it sound like that's what's guiding the criminal prosecution and the approach of the CPS.

I don't think that's how it's meant to work

Cocaine snorting taxi driver who hurt child in crash walks free



A cocaine snorting taxi driver who injured a child after crashing into a lamp post has walked free from court.

Anthony Beck was driving the blue London Taxi when he crashed on Edge Lane in Old Swan in December 2019.

He was travelling with two passengers at the time, a man and a child, who were both seriously injured.

But after a CPS charging blunder the 51-year-old walked free from court with a six-week sentence suspended for one year.

Beck appeared in Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where a prosecutor explained two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving would be dropped.

Andrew Page, prosecuting, said: "On December 29 2019, Mr Beck was driving a taxi which led to a collision."

Mr Page said "the Crown say serious injuries were sustained" by a child and an adult who were both passengers in the taxi.

District Judge Wendy Lloyd commented that the injuries appeared to be "pretty serious".

Emergency services were called to Edge lane at 1.50pm, which resulted in a partial closure of the carriageway.

Mr Page said Beck was arrested for driving whilst over the limit for controlled drugs, and those subsequent charges were brought to court first.

When he appeared in court for those charges Beck admitted two counts of driving a car with a proportion of specified controlled drug above the legal limit and using a vehicle while unfit through drugs.

On November 30 last year Beck, of Forest Walk, Runcorn, was handed six weeks suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirements.

He was also banned from driving for two years.

Mr Page said: "It is abundantly clear when the court was sentencing Mr Beck for the drug driving it was fully aware of the extent of the criminality and the consequences."

He said it was apparent the district judge who had sentenced the case had taken the injuries into account.

Mr Page said: "Mr Beck runs the risk of being sentenced twice."

He added there had been "serious consideration" to the case by senior members of the CPS and "in all the circumstances it would be wrong to continue with this prosecution".

District Judge Wendy Lloyd questioned the prosecution's decision, commenting: "I don't understand where this line of thinking has come from."

Mr Page said during his drug driving case it was opened to the court that "injury was caused to the passengers" and said: "I take the view this is a case that should be withdrawn."

The judge said she did "not want in any way for it to be seen that I am approving" of the decision.

District Judge Lloyd said she took the view all charges should have proceeded at the same time and added "Mr Beck doesn't appear to be doing very well in any event" with his current probation service requirements.

The judge said: "It seems to me he is very lucky in these circumstances, but the Crown should have put everything together."

Iain Criddle of CPS Mersey Cheshire said: “Anthony Beck was charged with offences relating to driving a vehicle having consumed controlled drugs on 29 December 2019.

"He was sentenced in the Magistrates' Court for those matters on 30 November 2020 and received a suspended prison sentence.

“The case was presented to the court on the basis that the driving was impaired, that the suspect was driving for reward and injury was caused to the passengers who were taken to hospital.

“On 13 January 2021, the CPS gave authority for Anthony Beck to be charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving in respect of the same incident.

"The CPS is required to keep all cases under continuous review. It became clear that the District Judge at the earlier hearing had been made aware of all aspects of the offending in this case and had taken these factors into account when deciding the appropriate sentence.

"There is a general rule in criminal law that a person should not be tried twice for the same offence. Based on this, on 24 June 2021, the CPS applied for the second prosecution to be withdrawn.

"The offence that was withdrawn was based on the same facts as the offences that Mr Beck had already been sentenced for on 30 November 2021."

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IDFIMH

Is the correct view, and one has to wonder why the CPS took the incorrect view.

But knowing a little bit about the CPS I really shouldn't be wondering at all.

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IDFIMH

But after a CPS charging blunder the 51-year-old walked free from court with a six-week sentence suspended for one year.


BUT I doubt the licensing authority would have been so lenient

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But the judge also seems to think that the dangerous driving charges should have proceeded now, despite the earlier prosecution and sentencing?

And what's changed between a couple of weeks ago and now?

He was done for driving while unfit in November. In January the CPS took the decision to charge him with dangerous driving. Six months later he was charged and appeared in court.

A fortnight later and it's now decided to withdraw the charges

And it all makes it even stranger that he was remanded a couple of weeks ago, and there's no light shed on why that came about?

Mind you, either the Echo or the CPS have got their dates wrong

maybe the drug taking has only recently come to light ?

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Possibly breached his Suspended Sentence Order, or any bail conditions on the second charge.


Sadly, in this case, the Judge has no say on what charges the CPS bring to court.

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IDFIMH