Torbay taxi driver loses council licence after attack on police officer

A Torbay taxi driver has had her licence revoked after councillors heard she lashed out at a police officer after drinking all day.
The driver, who has not been named, has lost her licence to drive a taxi in the bay.
The council has published the outcome of the licensing committee meeting which took place with the press and public excluded. Members heard that the driver had been found guilty of an assault on an emergency worker, and had failed to notify the council of the initial arrest and charges within the required 48 hours.
The councillors decided they would not allow their son or daughter, spouse or partner, mother or father, grandson or granddaughter – or any other person for whom they care, or any other vulnerable person known to them – to get into a vehicle alone with the driver.
The taxi driver attended the meeting, and councillors decided that while she was sincere and gave generally good answers when speaking about her role as a driver, there was a ‘significant failure’ in her understanding of her responsibilities.
While she had ticked a box confirming she had read the local taxi policy, her responses made councillors believe this may not be the case.
They heard that she had previous convictions, including offences committed while under the influence of alcohol, as well as the most recent offence of assault of an emergency worker. The council report goes on: “Members were particularly concerned that these offences demonstrated a pattern of behaviour that extended beyond isolated incidents and reflected a lack of personal responsibility and poor judgement.”
The driver had admitted to drinking all day before assaulting the emergency worker. Her explanation that she had pleaded guilty simply to ‘get things over with’ was not accepted.
Councillors said it had been lucky that such behaviour had not occurred while she was carrying passengers.
The report adds: “Members considered that the respondent’s convictions and conduct fell far below the standard expected of a licensed driver.”