Taxi Driver Online

Batley Today

September 21, 2006

HEADLINE: My rape fear

A MUM-TO-BE spoke of how she feared she was going to be raped and was scared for her unborn child after she was allegedly abducted and molested by a bogus taxi driver.

The Batley woman, who was six months pregnant, told her alleged kidnapper: "Stop, I'm pregnant," as he started to touch her after pulling over on a slip road at the M62 at Birstall.

She told the court: "I was scared because I was pregnant. I was scared something was going to happen to my baby."

The driver, who is alleged to be Dewsbury-based Ioannis Revenikiotis, looked shocked but then asked her to perform oral sex on him, it was claimed.

The 23-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, refused to make a complaint at the time but she told a friend about it. The friend heard how a taxi driver had tried to rape her on the journey three years ago. The alleged victim also said she told a traffic officer about her rape fear.

Revenikiotis, formerly of School Crescent, Dewsbury Moor, is also accused of kidnapping and killing travel agent Stephanie Hammill nine months later in Wakefield after she got into what she thought was a cab.

It was alleged that Miss Hammill, 20, jumped or fell from his Mercedes out of fear she was going to be sexually assaulted. She was run over by a real cab travelling in the opposite direction.

But a judge decided last Friday that Revenikiotis is mentally unfit to stand trial. He faced two charges of kidnap, one of manslaughter and an indecent assault charge.

A jury of six men and six women has continued hearing the case but instead of determining whether or not he is criminally responsible they must now decide whether the Greek engineer did the acts he is accused of. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at an earlier hearing.

This week and last Friday jurors heard evidence from the Batley woman who described how she was waiting for a cab in South Street, Dewsbury on February 22, 2003.

It's alleged that Revenikiotis pulled up at a taxi rank, stated he was a cabbie and could take her to Batley. But the court heard she started panicking when he went in the wrong direction.

She said: "I was an emotional wreck because I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know where he was going or what he wanted with me."

The mum added: "I thought about getting out because we were driving quite slowly, but there was no-one around.

"I didn't even try and open the door because I thought it was locked and I thought if I did get out I wouldn't get very far, he would come after me, it would make things worse."

The court heard that the incident finished when a policeman approached the car on the M62. The woman just wanted to go home and did not make an official complaint. Revenikiotis told police he thought the woman may have been a prostitute and he thought about taking her home.
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Yorkshire Evening Post

September 21, 2006

HEADLINE: Man watched in horror as girlfriend driven off

Court hears dramatic evidence of moments leading to Stephanie's death

By Rod Hopkinson

A HORRIFIED man watched in terror as his girlfriend was driven off at speed.

Minutes later, a court heard, Stephanie Hammill's body was found on the road after she had either jumped or fallen from a bogus cab - only to be struck by an oncoming car.

Her boyfriend James Garland, 25, told of his fear when he was left standing on the street as the black Mercedes car sped off.

Mr Garland and his childhood sweetheart were walking to their home in Lincoln Street, Wakefield, after a night out.

He told Leeds Crown Court they were eating a takeaway meal after drinking and visiting a nightclub in the city and had decided to walk because no taxis were available.

"I suggested if we saw a taxi we would flag it down and get in," he told the jury.

He went on: "There was a car coming from behind us. She looked back and stuck her hand out. He drove past me and then passed Stephanie slowly and pulled up. I thought it was a taxi.

"She closed her tray of food and walked forward and got into the rear passenger seat." Mr Garland added: "She had just got one leg into the car when the car started to move.

"Her other leg was just hanging out of the car. Once the car set off she shouted 'James.'" He said the motor set off slowly at first with his girlfriend's foot still hanging out. Then Stephanie shouted out my name and he started to drive quite quickly.

"At first I thought he had not seen me and I expected him to stop. I shouted Stephanie's name and he speeded up.

"I realised he was not going to stop. I threw my food on the floor and began running towards the car," he said. Mr Garland lost sight of the vehicle and said he panicked and approached a police van which was in the area. "I was crying and shouting. I was in a state," he said.

The court has heard Miss Hammill, a 20-year-old travel agency worker, was struck by a taxi coming the other way driven by Mohammed Ashiq. Mr Ashiq, in evidence, told the court he felt a bump saying: "I thought it was something to do with rubbish in the road."

The court heard he was later charged and sentenced for failing to stop at an accident and also driving with two defective tyres.

A judge has ruled the bogus taxi driver, Ioannis Revenikiotis, 28, is unfit to stand trial.

The jury has to decide if he did the acts alleged against him - kidnapping Miss Hammill in November 2003, and her manslaughter and allegations he kidnapped another woman and indecently assaulted her in February that year.

Proceeding
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