Taxi Driver Online

Angry cabbies call for justice

ALDERSHOT cabbies are furious that a soldier who dragged a driver out of his cab and kicked and punched him as he lay on the ground was let off with just a caution.


The taxi driver, who did not wish to be named, had to spend the night in hospital with head injuries and is now too frightened to work the more lucrative night shift.

The brutal assault happened last month outside Mons Barracks, home to the Royal Welch Fusiliers, who had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

An official complaint has been lodged with police over their handling of the incident and they are now reviewing the case to establish if they made the right decision.

But they confirmed that once someone accepts a caution the person cannot be charged with an offence.

The driver, who works for Rushmoor Radio Taxis, had picked up two soldiers from the town centre just after midnight.

They appeared to have been drinking, but were initially well behaved.

When they got to the barracks the pair were asleep and he managed to wake one of them by shouting. The fusilier seemed angry about a beeping noise coming from the cab radio and swore at the driver to turn it off.

“I told him it couldn’t be turned off because it was the radio and it bleeped automatically when the office was trying to call the cab,” he said.

“Then he just lost it and broke the glass partition, which is an inch thick, with his fist and tried to punch me.”

He was then dragged out of the cab by the fusilier and kicked in the head and body.
The driver was eventually helped by other soldiers and contacted the taxi office, which called an ambulance, police and military police.

While waiting for the ambulance he said he was paid his £6 fare, but then offered another £6 by the fusilier to keep quiet about the attack.

He spent the night in Frimley Park Hospital because staff were worried about his head wounds.

Since the attack he has suffered flashbacks and now has to take pills to help him sleep.

The damage to the cab cost £700 to repair and the driver, unable to work for several days, lost about £450 in earnings.

The fusilier has refused to pay for loss of earnings and Rushmoor Radio and A Line Taxis are now boycotting Mons Barracks until the matter is dealt with.

A police spokeswoman confirmed the soldier was arrested after he admitted the assault, but said he was not charged because he did not have any previous convictions.

A police spokesman later admitted they were reviewing the case. If the review finds the case was handled badly, the driver will receive a written apology.

The decision to caution the soldier would have been made by the duty custody officer in consultation with his colleagues.

Cllr David Clifford, who represents the Wellington Ward where the incident took place, was disturbed to hear of the police decision.

“I have lodged an official complaint. This is an assault on someone providing a public service and I’m not happy with the police’s response.

“It’s a travesty that a taxi driver can be kicked and punched to the point where he has to curl up to protect himself and the perpetrator gets away with it.”

Mike Kirk, chairman of Rushmoor Radio Taxis, said he was appalled with the way police handled the matter.

“Apparently, the police have categories for each incident and they told us the attack didn’t come into the category where they have to take action. If that’s the case, then what is this world coming to?

“We’ve banned all cabs going to and from Mons Barracks. Our competition A Line has done the same and now the soldiers are complaining because they can’t get a cab.

“All we want to see is action taken against this bloke and then we’ll be happy.”

The Royal Welch Fusiliers have were not allowed alcohol in Iraq, and the regiment had banned soldiers from going out drinking in Aldershot to avoid such incidents.

An Army spokesman said the soldier was facing disciplinary action by the regiment which could result in a fine or loss of privileges.

He added: “I understand the soldier has apologised and offered to pay for the damage to the taxi.”

At the time of going to press Rushmoor Radio Taxis had not received any money.

I wonder if it had been a copper that was assulted they would have been so lenient.

_________________
IDFIMH

The attack warranted legal action against the perpetrator, your asumption that police action would have been different if it were a police officer under attack is the worrying comparison.
Maybe, and this is only a suggestion, you should take your head out of your arse and concern yourself with what we can do to stop this kind of brutal attack happening elsewhere, and not what other people should be doing without us taking action ourselves.
If the author of the original post is in contact with this person then if he could pass on my best wishes, also I believe the owners of the two taxi offices should be applauded for backing their own.

The two instances below show the inconsitancy if our national police forces.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 677740.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3932897.stm

No one doubts that stronger action was warranted. Is anyone in any doubt that if this type of attack was carried out on a police officer or politician the course of action would have been different.

How typical !

These guys have just returned from Iraq where they were able to kill anyone for so much as looking at them and the Taxi Driver complains cause he got beaten up ?
You seem to forget that these guys were there looting Iraqi Oil so that Cabbies can stay on the road and earn their bread.
You should be offering these guys free rides and shut that radio of yours whilst these guys are sleeping in your cab.

The brutal assault happened last month outside Mons Barracks, home to the Royal Welch Fusiliers, who had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.


We carry alot of squadies to the barracks all over North Yorkshire, I have had my share of them

I find if your having trouble and you arrive at the guardroom gate/ checkpoint, get out quick and ask for the guard commander, poste haste and tell him to get these bodies out quick and settle the bill, seen it happen many a time, double quick, funny how it's always the "infantry" section of the army that causes these problems

Well I don't know where you have been living for the last 20 years, but it certainly isn't the real world.

Of course police action would have been different if a police officer was suffering an attack, its human nature to protect those you consider to be your own. If you saw a motorist in trouble you'd be less likely to stop and offer assistance if it wasn't a fellow taxidriver.
The advice offered by the person from Yorkshire is what we should be discussing as it possibly prevents further attacks, at least with a drunken yob from the forces returning to barracks there is someone at the other end who will be on your side if the passengers become unruly at best and violent at worst.
More attention should be made to solving problems instead of looking for someone else to blame.

It's even better when you pull into the checkpoint/ guardroom after being given problems by drunken squaddies is the RSM [regimantal Sgt Major] stood by the gate doing his rounds
If your working a lot to the barracks you can get hold of the Military Police provo unit, they usually aren't far way, if you can get hold of their telephone number, keep it in your phone, any trouble you can expect the MP patrol will be round in a quick flash