Uber Driver Who Assaulted Taxi Driver, One Year suspended sentence, Fined £880, Ordered To Do 150 Unpaid Hours….Report from Marc Turner.

Yesterday (August 25th) at Highbury Magistrates Court, Uber driver Mohammed Dalim was found guilty by District Judge Nicholas Rimmer of One count of assault by beating.

Dalim was fined £680 Court costs and £200 compensation to Jon Cox, the Taxi driver Dalim punched in the back of the head at Kings Cross on 23rd March, this year. Dalim was given a one year suspended sentence and also ordered to serve 150 unpaid hours of work by 27 August 2017.
The hearing lasted approx two hours.
Judge Rimmer deliberated for approx thirty minutes.
It was an intriguing case. At one point the Judge asked the temperature be lowered when Jon Cox locked horns with defending lawyer Joseph Lawrence.
Star of the  proceedings was witness for the prosecution cabbie Lee Barron. Lee not only witnessed the accident, but intervened by braking up the fracas.
Lee’s performance was spellbinding.
He made the defence lawyer look like an amatuer. Even the Judge looked impressed, and in his summing up spoke of how credible the prosecution witness was.
Another nail in Dalim’s coffin was a statement read out by the arresting officer PC Francis, who described the altercation as “one taxi driver punched another” (which just goes to show, even the police can’t distinguish between Taxi & PH).
 Interestingly in Dalim’s statement to Police on being read his car registration, he replied “I ‘think’ that’s correct”.
 Finally Mohammed Dalim, took to the stand. Previously a bus driver of twelve years, he explained he’d been with Uber for just over a year. But, in giving his side of events, he seemed to suffer persistent ‘amnesia’.
Prosecuting lawyer Lorna Ewen made short shrift of him.
Judge Rimmer described his testimony as ‘vague’.
Dalim’s evidence appeared to revolve around a conspiracy theory, explaining “Everybody knows there’s a war between Black Cabs & Uber, and I am a victim of this”.
His delusion went as far as believing that Mr Barron and Mr Cox had coluded to set him up.
No doubt he thought the police were in on it as well!!

John Cox, Marc Turner and Sean Paul Day, outside the court

On a lighter note, the Clerk of the Court approached the press section of the gallery and exclaimed “I’ve never seen so many members of the press, why so much interest in my court”?…Included were Steve (LTDA), Gregg (The Sun), Marc Turner (Call Sign) and the irrepressible Sean Paul Day from London Taxi Radio.
Marc Turner replied “This case has great significance and interest in the Taxi and Private Hire trades.
The lady clerk questioned “Why”?.. Marc explained in hushed tones “Because the defendant’s an ‘Uber’ driver”. She came back with “Who’s Uber”?…..To which Marc Turner declared his undying ‘love’ for her!!!! To laughs all round.
Wedding Taxis

You May Also Like…