Jail sentences for illegal minicab trio

An uninsured cab driver and two of his colleagues who tried to cover up their company’s role in a fatal car crash in the City have been jailed today (Aug 12) at Southwark Crown Court.

The judge described the crash as a “horrific and tragic collision, with profound consequences”. Relatives of the woman who died in the accident say they hope no other family “experience the same type of unnecessary loss”.

Driver, Delwar HUSSAIN, 31, from West Kilburn, was not licensed by Transport for London's Public Carriage Office, and was uninsured when he picked up a Danish family in the Paddington area to take them to Liverpool Street in the early hours of Nov 17 2007.

Three generations of the Rask family were on their way to catch an early flight home to Denmark after a holiday in England.

Despite not having the appropriate insurance and insufficient seats, Hussain took the family of three adults and two young children in his minicab. One of the children, aged 3, sat on her mother’s lap as there was no child seat.

Hussain’s minicab pulled in front of a truck on Bishopsgate and the vehicles crashed into each other. The impact left one of the passengers, Toyoko Rask, a 66-year-old grandmother, with fatal injuries. Her 3-year-old grand-daughter suffered severe facial injuries and her 6-month-old baby brother a fractured skull.

HUSSAIN pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to Careless Driving, Fraud by False Representation, and No Insurance.

Imprisoning Hussain for 12 months, Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, said the sentence should be a deterrent to “spell out to unlicensed drivers that it will be imprisonment.”  

City of London Police carried out a search at the offices of the company the family had booked the cab with, Minicab 2000. Initially, staff there denied any knowledge of Hussain. The cab controller Mohammed RATHORE, 35, claimed he had given the job to another driver, Abdul HASENKHEIL. When officers first spoke to HASENKHEIL, 36, he claimed he’d gone to collect the family but had received no reply. Both later admitted to police that it was the unlicensed Hussain who was sent to the pick up.

RATHORE, from Kensal Town, and HASENKHEIL from Wembley, had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing.

Jailing him today for 18 months, the Judge described Rathore’s actions as the most serious of all, “showing a callous disregard for the victims.”

Hasenkheil was given an 8 month suspended sentence and 150 hours unpaid community service.

The family of Toyoko Rask issued a statement after the sentence:

"We are pleased and thankful for the way in which the City of London Police, and our family liaison officer Andy Massey in particular, has handled this case. Their investigation, compassion and integrity has been exemplary. We sincerely hope that this tragic accident will help shed light on the issue of illegal and unlicensed taxi drivers. It is a serious problem that demands immediate attention in order to prevent other families from experiencing the same type of unnecessary loss.
Finally, we are, as our dear mother would have been, deeply saddened by all of those involved and affected by this tragic accident. This has impacted not just our family and we wish them all the well."    

City of London Police Inspector Dave Aspinall said, ”This has been a difficult and trying case to investigate. Today’s result begins an end to a complex 9 month investigation and the sentencing reflects the severity of the offences and the parts taken by the three individuals concerned. Everyone involved in the investigation joins the judge in expressing their condolences to the Rask family.”

Only drivers licensed by the Public Carriage Office can work as minicab drivers in the Capital.  The City of London Police conducts operations, with the Public Carriage Office, within the City to identify those individuals and companies who flout the law.  Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, recently announced plans to double the number of cab enforcement officers in London from 34 to 68 to tackle the issue of taxi touting and illegal drivers operating in London.

Mary Dowdye, Head of Standards and Regulations at the Public Carriage Office, said: "No licensed operator should ever use an unlicensed driver.  If they do, we will prosecute or revoke. We have systems in place to ensure licensed drivers and the vehicles they use are fit to carry passengers safely, and we will prosecute any operator who ignores the regulations." 

Further information:

• Transport for London's (TfL's) Public Carriage Office regulates the licensed taxi and licensed private hire trades in London.  All drivers must undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check upon application and then every three years when they renew their licence.  
• TfL's advice remains that Londoners should always book a licensed private hire vehicle if they need a door to door service and should never get into a vehicle on the street unless it is a licensed, otherwise known as black, taxi.  TfL works in partnership with the Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) and City of London Police (CoLP) to keep passengers as safe as possible. Anti-touting operations are carried out on a regular basis.
  

TfL offers passengers the following services to find a safe way to travel:

• Cabwise - a text service which can provide the numbers of local licensed minicab operators wherever you are in London. Just text HOME to 60835 (60tfl) to get the numbers of one taxi and two licensed minicabs operators in the area you are texting from sent directly to your phone.  Texts costs 35p plus standard network charges. For more information on Cabwise, including safer travel choices in London, visit: www.cabwise.com
• Findaride - passengers can visit www.tfl.gov.uk/findaride  to search for licensed minicab operators in any part of London and book a licensed minicab for later on in the evening. 
• TfL’s Travel Information Centre - TfL’s 24 hour travel information call centre can be phoned 24 hours a day on 020 7222 1234. Travel advisers can provide information on public transport services or phone numbers for taxi and private hire services in London. 
• Marshalled taxi ranks - late night marshalled taxi ranks have been established in areas of London which are busy late at night. Marshalled taxi ranks are situated in Bromley, Beckenham, Cranbourn Street, Kingston, Liverpool Street and Romford with a marshalled minicab scheme operating in Kingston.