Merseyside

A taxi driver who was accused of helping a fugitive drug dealer flee justice walked free from court after jurors took just an hour to find him not guilty.

Raymond Fairfield, 63, had been accused of driving Liam Johnson from Fazakerley to Southport in the back of his hackney cab despite knowing he was on the run after fleeing the UK while awaiting sentence for selling cocaine in North Liverpool.

But the taxi driver of 32 years experience said he had no idea who Johnson was and had no reason to believe it was anything more than a normal fare.

Mr Fairfield, of Totnes Road, Croxteth , said he was contacted by Joseph Preston, a friend of Liam Johnson's, who arranged for him to take a passenger the following morning, August 7 last year.

Liverpool cabbie: I didn't know my fare was a gangster

He said he picked Johnson up near Fazakerley train station and he got in the car and went straight to sleep with his head over to one side.

It was when they got to Southport he realised something was wrong as police surrounded his cab "like the Sweeney" and dragged him out, with one officer saying: "what are you doing with that scumbag?"

He always denied knowing Johnson was a wanted criminal and said the prosecution was a result of being "stitched up".

Jurors took a little over an hour to unanimously find him not guilty of assisting a person sentenced and unlawfully at large.

Mr Fairfield, a father of five who has been married for 42 years, waved at jurors as he was allowed to leave the dock.

Joseph Preston, 46, who pleaded guilty to the same charges will be sentenced at the end of February.

Liam Johnson, 33, was jailed for eleven years and a month for drugs conspiracy plus six months for jumping bail a few days after his arrest.

It is believed he fled to the continent before returning to the north west through Blackpool airport a few days before he was caught.
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Bristol

A Radstock taxi driver will be appearing before Bristol Magistrates Court tomorrow after allegedly breaching an ASBO banning him from kerb crawling for a second time.

Kingsley Hobbs, 54, from Mendip Way, has allegedly been stopped by Bristol vice officers a total of five times in the Stapleton Road, Portland Square, Warwick Road and Fishponds Road areas.

He was first arrested in March 2012, when he was given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract. He was caught again in September 2012 and received a conditional caution, which required him to attend a special course.

Despite only seven per cent of attendees going on to re-offend since the course was introduced in 2008, Hobbs was caught again on October 28, 2012, and charged. He was given an ASBO banning him from the areas of Bristol.

Police say Hobbs has since breached that ban on March 13, last year and January 17, this year.
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Oldham

Taxi driver slashed across the neck when he is robbed by two passengers at knifepoint in Sholver

The cabbie was attacked while dropping off a fare in Oldham in the early hours of Wednesday.

It was the latest incident in a spate of violence against taxi drivers, police said.

The victim had picked up two men on Dunkerley Street, Oldham, at 2.35am and they asked to be taken to the Sholver area.

But when the car pulled up on Pearly Bank, the passengers lunged at him with a blade, cut him, then stole some cash.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene and the driver was taken to hospital with wounds to his neck and hands. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

The men were white, in their early 20s and spoke with local accents.

Inspector Alan Humphries said: "It is apparent that there have been other acts of violence and anti-social behaviour directed against taxi drivers in Oldham.

"Cars have been pelted with stones and eggs while some have been robbed, as in this case. Fortunately the man was not seriously hurt but he has suffered some nasty cuts to his hands.


"We will investigate all of these offences rigorously and every effort is being made to bring offenders to justice."
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Eire.

The Competition Authority has issued a warning about proposed new rules for taxis.

It has told the National Transport Authority that they could increase prices and waiting times for consumers.

It believes the planned regulations would make it more difficult for people to get into the industry, resulting in reduced competition between drivers.

The NTA last week launched their public consultation on the draft of the new regulations. Among the changes included is the provision that all new entrants to the taxi industry must drive wheelchair-accessible vehicles that are less than six years old.

The Competition Authority claims these vehicles are more expensive to purchase and operate than other vehicle types, and "increases the financial burden for new entrants".
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Leeds

A taxi driver in Leeds has been arrested on suspicion of being over the drink-drive limit.

Police were called at 1.05am yesterday morning (Feb 4) to reports of a taxi driver being over the limit in the Wortley area of Leeds.

The taxi was stopped a few minutes later, at 1.19am, on Green Hill Road, Bramley, and the driver, a 42-year-old local man, was arrested.

A police spokesman said yesterday the driver had been reported for summons to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on February 14 in relation to the drink-drive offence.

A Leeds City Council spokesman last night confirmed to the Yorkshire Evening Post his licence would be suspended with immediate effect in the interests of public safety.