Taxi Driver Online

Minicab Driver Jailed For Rape.

A MINICAB driver has been convicted of rape, amid fears he may have claimed other victims. Gordon Locke, 30, of Waterhead Close, Erith, was jailed for nine years at the Old Bailey last week on three rape charges and one of indecent assault on an 18-year-old girl.

But after the case, the investigating officer Detective Inspector Joe Mutch said he feared Locke may have assaulted other women who have not reported the attacks. DI Mutch said: "We know Locke has been working as a minicab driver since 1995 for a number of firms in south east London. We would urge any women who were allegedly assaulted by him to come forward."

He described Locke as "a serious danger to women".

At the trial, the court heard that Locke had been working for Best Cabs, based at Erith railway station, when a 16-year-old girl complained to the company last August that Locke had groped her thigh and made obscene suggestions. She decided not to prosecute after the company assured her Locke would be sacked. But when, a week later, she discovered he was still working there, she did complain to police, who were told he had been sacked. He hadn't, and days later he raped an 18-year-old girl after taking her to his home. The court heard the girl had been wandering the street in the early hours of September 19 following a row with her boyfriend. Locke recognised her as a previous customer and offered her a cup of tea. Instead of taking her to the cab office, he took her home where he put on a hardcore video and threatened the girl with violence if she didn't submit to a number of sex acts.

After a two-hour ordeal he drove her home where she told her boyfriend she had been raped. Arrested three days later, Locke denied all the allegations. He also denied indecently assaulting the 16-year-old and was acquitted of that charge.

It's not a competition, but

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news ... _page.html

http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/ind ... 58609&pt=n

and no doubt there are hundreds more stories that can be found.

But surely isn't this justification for licensing drivers, because I doubt this mush has/had a PH license? Something I may add that many of the black cab trade fought against.

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IDFIMH

I'm not sure what the Irish and Welsh post has to do with the London trade? My point being that certain companys are still employing these people on a temp permit and these people are still commiting sexual assaults weekly.

If you can find any newsworthy cuttings about Licensed London Taxi drivers commiting such assaults, feel free to post.

I feel you may struggle, that of course being the main difference between Taxi's and Minicabs.

There has been one that I know about in nearly two decades as a Taxi driver, and funnily enough that particular person was an ex-minicab, foreign national.

I'm not too sure if those you mention got temp permits, bearing how long it takes to bring someone to book. Maybe these incidents took place many years ago.

But that's a side issue, my point was that in the rest of the country, where both PH and HC are fully licensed, the ratio of baddies is roughly on a par.

Hopefully soon the baddies in the un-licensed minicab trade will be no-more, due to the legit PH trade.

I see no reason why it shouldn't.

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IDFIMH