Taxi Driver Online

London taxi driver 'deliberately ran down pedestrian who squirted drink at his cab'

A London taxi driver left his passengers screaming in horror after he deliberately ran over a pedestrian who had squirted drink over his windscreen, a court heard yesterday.

The four customers in Imran Raja’s cab “could hear and feel the bump” as the wheels crushed Robert Scott to death in the road, the Old Bailey was told. It is alleged that Mr Raja, 37, steered towards the 58-year-old and mowed him down at a junction after he threw a bottle of liquid over the front of the taxi.

The passengers, a married couple and two female friends who were travelling to a West End bar, allegedly yelled at Mr Raja to stop before he phoned for an ambulance. Mr Scott suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Mr Raja, who worked for Addison Lee, London’s biggest minicab firm, denies murder.

The incident happened as Mr Raja drove Chris Watson, his wife, and two other women to Piccadilly at around 7.40pm on November 21 last year. Prosecutor David Fisher QC said it was dark and raining as Mr Raja pulled up at a junction in Mayfair, preparing to turn right. He said that Mr Scott then stepped out into the road in front of the Ford Galaxy and began remonstrating with Mr Raja.

Mr Fisher said: “He was very close to the front of the vehicle and for whatever reason he appeared to be cross and agitated. “He squirted or splashed liquid from a bottle on to the windscreen of the vehicle and then struck the front with the bottle.

'Instead of turning right, Imran Raja drove forwards and left towards Robert Scott, striking him and knocking him to the ground. He then drove over him crushing him to death. “The passengers could hear and feel the bump as the tyres of the cab went over Robert Scott. “The three women were screaming and Chris Watson shouted at the defendant to stop.”

Mr Raja, of Dellow Close, Ilford, Essex, also denies alternative charges of manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving.

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IDFIMH

No wonder London Cabbies have had enough of "Pirate Hire"
As usual he is described as a "taxi driver" by the press, demeaning and denigrating the real trade up there.....

Whilst Mr. Raja remains innocent until proven guilty, I do hope John Griffin is meeting his legal costs. Looks like he's going to need it.

Addison Lee, London's premier Minicab company?

The closest he'd get to being a London Taxi Driver is when I pass him in the Bus Lane.

Unless it's the M4 bus lane.

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IDFIMH

Even if he was trying to scare the bloke surely he could have stopped as soon as he hit him after all if the incident happened at traffic lights he wouldn't have been going very fast I would like to believe that this is a one off incident but the attitude and mindset in which some people believe it is ok to commit serious attrocities as long as the victim is perceived as being from a lower status ethnic or religious background is all too common

The victim was British was he not?

sorry towag my comments were perhaps a little too cryptic there are large sections of the british population who think that most british people are beneath them based on religious or ethnic prejudices

OOOh yes and don't we know it!!