Taxi Driver Online

Man caged for brutal attack on taxi driver

A 25-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for seriously assaulting an Afghani taxi driver that left him clinically brain dead for six months. Craig Andrew Fairman, of Riverside Road, Sidcup, was sentenced to 18 months for grievous bodily harm at Woolwich Crown Court last Friday.

He was found guilty on March 16 after a three-day trial of attacking Mohammed Shah, 44, causing him severe head injuries. Mr Shah was unable to move or speak for six months after a single punch knocked him unconscious before he hit the ground and fractured his head.

The court heard how Mr Shah picked up a 'fare' from the George Public House in Bexley Village just after 11.30pm on Friday, March 7 last year. Mr Shah, who was originally from Afghanistan and who is now a naturalised British citizen, was found shortly afterwards in Riverside Road, Sidcup, by two members of the public.

They saw a parked vehicle with the front driver and passenger doors open and a man lying on the ground with wounds to his face and head and he was bleeding from the ears.

Police and London Ambulance Service arrived and the victim was transported to Queen Mary's Hospital with severe head injuries. Mr Fairman was arrested the following day when Bexley police were called to a disturbance at the Nags Head in Welling High Street.

Another man was also arrested in connection with the assault but was later released due to insufficient evidence.

Detective Sergeant Nigel Penney who led the investigation said: "This was a brutal attack that left the victim, Mr Shah, critically ill for some months. He underwent brain surgery three times and while he can now walk and talk, he requires full care and his quality of life is very limited. His family has also suffered immensely over this incident and together it may well be some time before they can gain full closure.

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