Taxi Driver Online

Front page of Plymouth Evening Newspaper:

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?command=newPage&nodeId=133164&contentPK=10014784

KILLER GIVEN MINICAB LICENCE

12:00 - 19 May 2004
A convicted killer has been granted a licence to drive minicabs in Plymouth - just weeks after walking free from prison, the Herald can reveal.

Ian Morrison applied for and was granted the licence by Plymouth City Council after being freed from jail where he served less than two years for manslaughter.

Taxi drivers and the family of the man Morrison killed in a street fight are furious that someone with his reputation for violence has been trusted with the safety of passengers.

Today, after being contacted by the Herald, the city council confirmed it would review the case.

Morrison, aged 36, threw a single punch at David Taylor as Mr Taylor tried to calm a late-night brawl in Union Street in April 2002. The blow sent the 31-year-old falling to the floor where he struck his head, suffering fatal injuries.

Before sentencing Morrison to five years in jail in February last year, Judge William Taylor described the act as 'gratuitous aggression'. The court heard that he had previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault in 1989 and 1991.

The manslaughter sentence was later reduced on appeal to two and a half years and Morrison was released in January.

Plymouth City Council's licensing committee granted former cab driver Morrison a licence to drive private hire vehicles during a personal hearing in April.

Following investigations by the Herald, the council today said new information had come to light, which it was examining - which could result in the decision being reviewed.

All hackney carriage and private hire drivers must have a licence from the council to show they are fit to drive a taxi.

Angry taxi drivers say they have seen Morrison working in Plymouth but it is not known who is employing him.

It is understood Morrison, of Staple Close, Roborough, has a condition on his parole that he cannot enter the city centre or Stonehouse, which seriously hampers his ability to work.

Beth Taylor (pictured right), mother of David Taylor (pictured inset) has written to the council to ask the licensing committee to revoke its decision.

She said: "I think it is disgusting. I am absolutely furious and not just because he killed my son. He is responsible for people's safety."

Mrs Taylor, 53, from Stonehouse, added: "I use taxis quite a lot. I do have other children. My biggest fear is that I get into a taxi and he is driving it.

"There must have been a lack of communication between the council, the probation and the police. Probation have told me it is better if he is working but I think he should be in a factory, not somewhere where he is alone with people at all hours."

Alan Heron, chairman of the Plymouth Taxi Company, which has 120 black cabs on the road, said: "I think this is a terrible that this kind of person has got a badge.

"It just blackens the name of every other good driver out there - and the majority out there are good. He should not be working. He is not the right type of person who should be carrying young men or young women around late at night."

Mr Heron added: "If a driver gets a speeding conviction you get hauled over the coals by the licensing committee. There is something seriously wrong if someone like this can get a badge."

One taxi boss was taking legal advice to see whether his company could appeal against the Morrison's licence, before the council announced its review.

John Preece, boss of Taxifast, said: "The whole trade is up in arms about it. I have spoken to other operators, both private hire and hackney carriages, and we are putting up a united front."

South West Devon MP Gary Streeter said he was increasingly worried about taxi and private hire licences granted by Plymouth City Council.

He added: "I am extremely alarmed to hear about this. I am concerned more and more that taxi drivers do not receive sufficient regulation.

"There is a very intimate relationship between a driver and his fare. Every passenger is a person who is potentially at risk.

"A decision on a taxi driver deserves as much consideration as any decision on education or health."

Mr Streeter last year criticised the council for 'lenient' action against a taxi driver who was convicted of a road rage attack on a disabled motorist. Paul Connors, 45, from Deer Park, Saltash, was sentenced to 200 hours' community service and ordered to pay £600 compensation to the victim and £250 court costs. He was suspended for just three days by Plymouth City Council's licensing committee.

Transport minister and Plymouth Devonport MP David Jamieson said he could not comment specifically without knowing the details of the Morrison case.

But he added: "The council has absolute responsibility for the safety of both the vehicles and that the people driving or operating cabs are people that the public can trust. It is up to the council to justify whether they have made the right decision.

"It is not something I would look into in the first instance unless I receive specific complaints."

At the appeal which reduced his sentence last June, Morrison was described by his barrister as a model prisoner who had shown genuine remorse.

The reduction in his sentence meant he was eligible for release half way through his sentence rather than two thirds in the case of a longer term.

A city council spokesman said: "We are unable to comment on either the conviction or the length of sentence given by the courts. We are also not able to discuss in detail the information presented to the licensing committee in April. However, since then new information has come to light that the committee was not aware of. This is being investigated and may result in the council reviewing its decision.

"A hearing was heard to decide the application and the matter was decided at the time and any objections that were received would have been taken into account."

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shocking stuff. what the hell were the council thinking by giving this man a badge?

Perhaps the good folk of Plymouth should review the case of whether the council is 'fit and proper'.

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IDFIMH

One sometimes wonders, the council say if there was objections they would have been herd at the time.

how the hell does anyone know when a badge application is made by an individual? so how can they object?

did the committee listen? and whats this new information and where does it come from?

the council stands between taxi drivers and safety?

Geoff

Normally if something turns up on the CRB check you get turned down flat. you can then apply for a hearing with the council who then see if it was long enough ago or serious enough to issue the licence or not.

a mate of mine when through this a while back because he was involved in a fight outside a pub 25 years ago when he was just 17 years old, it was a long time ago and he was just a lad, and fair enough the council gave him the badge. but to be convicted of manslaughter just 2 years ago with previous as well and still get a badge is a [edited by admin] take.

surely the fact that the guy is not allowed to enter the city centre or stonehouse (where all the clubs are) would be enough to prove that he cannot provide a normal service to the public and therefore no badge?

Personally i cant see hom lasting much longer as a driver anyway. he had his picture on the front page so that should be enough for XXX ph company to get rid of him as he would be a serious liabilty once the public find out what PH company he's working for (unknown to the public at the moment as his ph car does not carry any company markings). and what do you think would happen when a punter get in his car and Recognise the driver?

if we get turned down for a badge we have to appeal to Magistrates.
never known magistrates to go against us on appeal though as its open court, they only see the borderline cases anyway.



I wonder if his CRB check was slanted in someway and didnt show his conviction?

seems strange! after all if the council knew he was guily of manslaughter at the time they gave the badge, they have no grounds to revoke?

Geoff

HE'S GONE

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133188&command=displayContent&sourceNode=133171&contentPK=10027611

KILLER CABBIE QUITS HIS JOB


12:00 - 20 May 2004

A convicted killer quit as a minicab driver hours after the Evening Herald exposed his criminal past. Ian Morrison, jailed for manslaughter only last year, resigned from city company Plymcabs yesterday.

Morrison, aged 36, was granted a licence to drive private hire vehicles by Plymouth City Council in April.

In January he was released from jail, where he served less than two years for throwing the punch which led to the death of 31-year-old David Taylor. News that the former cabbie was back behind the wheel created an uproar in the taxi trade.

Other drivers and Mr Taylor's family today breathed a sigh of relief that Morrison had quit on the day that the Herald ran the story.

He had been working for Plympton-based Plymcabs for the past three weeks.

Company manager Dave Pitcher said: "In view of what we have read in the paper, we contacted Mr Ian Morrison and he came into the office. He has formally stood down as a private hire driver and he has handed his licence back to the city council until such time as the matter has been reviewed."

Plymouth City Council had already agreed to review the decision by the licensing committee after being contacted by the Herald.

Mr Pitcher would not comment on whether he knew that Morrison had criminal convictions when he was employed. He had been a taxi driver before he was jailed.

Morrison, formerly of Roborough but now thought to be living in Colebrook, was hired even though he was banned by the conditions of his probation licence from entering the city centre or Stonehouse.

Mr Taylor died after a single punch from Morrison as he tried to calm a late-night brawl in Union Street. The blow sent him falling to the ground where he struck his head, suffering fatal injuries.

The judge sentencing Morrison in February last year heard he had previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault in 1989 and 1991.

He was jailed for five years for manslaughter, but the sentence was later reduced on appeal to two and a half years and Morrison was released in January this year.

Beth Taylor, 53, mother of David Taylor, welcomed the news that Morrison had quit.

She said: "I am really pleased. I do not think he should have been given a licence. He has given other drivers a bad name.

"I use cabs a lot and I could have ended up getting in the back of his cab."

Alan Heron, chairman of the Plymouth Taxi Company, which has 120 back cabs on the road, said: "It is good news. At least he has had the decency to hand in his badge.

"Hopefully the city council will decide at its review not to give it back."

A city council spokesman said new information had come to light which the licensing committee which debated Morrison's case had not known. This is being investigated and could result in the decision to grant Morrison a licence being reviewed. A meeting is likely to take place within a fortnight.


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i think he saw that there was no future for him in Plymouth as a driver. other drivers want him off the road, fares want him off the road, i guess it was a case of knowing when you had no chance and he's done the right thing.

there still hangs the question of why he was given the badge in the first place, and how many other drivers are there out there who you and i would deem not to be 'fit and proper' have slipped through the net designed to protect the public??

i cannot for the life of me understand why the council are reviewing his case. surely its a foregone conclusion that he will not be allowed back on the road. there will be a lot of unhappy people if the council decide to let him drive again, and even more unhappy people if he's daft enough to start again.

Steveo, were the restrictions on his license related to the conviction?

If so then the committee must have been aware of all the facts, so what is this new information that they are chuntering on about?

He may have left that particular firm, but there is nothing stopping him starting up his own.

He could do airport work etc and even try his luck driving a Limo. Crazy thing is if he does the latter he will be the only licensed driver there.

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IDFIMH

i dont think the restriction were on his licence, they were to do with being released early. he was not allowed to go in to the area of town were the incident took place & where the victims family live.

when i hear what the new info is i'll post it.

KILLER TAXI DRIVER LOSES LICENCE

A convicted killer who was given a badge to drive minicabs by Plymouth City Council has had his taxi licence rescinded, the Herald can reveal.

Ian Morrison, who served less than two years in prison for manslaughter, has failed in his bid to drive taxis in the city.

He is expected to appeal against the decision, which was taken yesterday behind closed doors at a meeting of the council's licensing committee.

Mr Morrison was awarded a private hire licence by the committee back in April - just weeks after he was released from prison.

But he decided to hand over his badge in May, after the mother of the man he killed in a street fight asked the council to reverse its decision.

He had worked for Plympton-based taxi company Plymcabs for just two weeks before he handed his badge back to the licensing committee - effectively suspending himself from being a taxi driver.

Members reviewed Mr Morrison's case yesterday and decided to permanently rescind his licence after considering representations made by his solicitor.

The Herald understands that members were not convinced that Mr Morrison was a fit and proper person to be driving a taxi in Plymouth.

It is also believed that members had concerns about what may have happened if Mr Morrison had encountered his victim's family or friends.

All hackney carriage and private hire drivers must have a licence from the council to show they are fit to drive a taxi.

Mr Morrison, formerly of Roborough but now thought to be living in Colebrook, Plympton, threw a single punch at David Taylor, who tried to calm a late-night brawl in Union Street in April 2002.

The blow sent Mr Taylor falling to the floor where he struck his head, suffering fatal injuries.

Before sentencing Mr Morrison to five years in jail in February last year, Judge William Taylor described the act as 'gratuitous aggression'.

The court heard that he had previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault in 1989 and 1991.

The manslaughter sentence was later reduced on appeal to two-and-a-half years.

In May the Herald reported that Ian Morrison had been granted a licence to drive minicabs in Plymouth weeks after walking free from prison. Morrison was granted the licence by Plymouth City Council.

At that time taxi drivers and the family of the man Morrison killed were furious that someone with his reputation for violence had been trusted with the safety of passengers.

After being contacted by the Herald, the city council confirmed it would review the case. But Morrison quit as a minicab driver just hours after the Herald exposed his criminal past, resigning from city company Plymcabs and handing his licence back to the city council until his case was reviewed yesterday.

he's wasting his time with an appeal. even if the council were stupid enough to give him another badge theres no PH company in Plymouth that would touch him with a barge pole. would be the instant kiss of death if it got out to the public that he was working for your firm.

Which is perhaps the only time a cartel is a good thing.

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IDFIMH

HUH? what do you mean by cartel?

down here PH drivers need to be licenced to run a car. they also only work out of an PH office that also must be licenced. is that what you mean?

I think he mean the firms getting together and deciding whats what.

What happens in Brighton is they get together and divy out the work, and stop anyone new starting up.

i dont think the companies need to get together to talk this over. this case has been on the local TV news and all over the front page of the local paper with headlines like "KILLER TAXI DRIVER".
as i said you'd have to be a few eggs short of a dozon to take this guy in to your company, knowing that you'd be on the recieving end of some bad PR if you did.