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A wife-killer who has been allowed to train as a
London taxi driver was cautioned for assault less than three months ago, the Evening Standard can reveal.
The 38-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by police in June after admitting assault. Transport for London was made aware of the caution but still allowed the man to continue taking the exam to become a taxi driver.
Earlier this week the Standard revealed TfL had given permission for the man, a paranoid schizophrenic, to take the Knowledge even though they were aware he had been convicted of manslaughter after strangling his wife in 2000. But TfL officials failed to mention the man's more recent assault conviction when defending their actions earlier this week.
Jeroen Weimar, TfL's director of enforcement and compliance, told BBC London: “The independent medical opinion is that this man poses no danger to the public and is fit and proper to train to be a taxi driver.”
A TfL spokesman said today: “We can confirm that the man made us aware that he had received a caution for assault. As a result, we suspended his Knowledge appearances for one month and warned him that if he came to our attention again, he would not be allowed to continue taking the exam.”
The man's suspension has ended and he has now resumed his studies. However, the TfL spokesman said: “We do recognise that this is an issue of public concern. Passenger safety is our first priority. We will include this decision [on the assault] in the scope of the independent review we have commissioned into our actions.” Politicians and the cab trade reacted with disbelief. “It makes you wonder what TfL is doing,” said Tory Assembly member Andrew Boff. “You just cannot put the public at risk like this. They need to sort this out quickly otherwise they will damage the reputation of the best taxi service in the world.”
TfL says it is powerless to act because the killer was detained under the Mental Health Act, meaning his conviction is “spent” under offender rehabilitation laws after five years. The assault caution is also “spent”.
However, the review commissioned by TfL will examine whether the authority could have acted differently. Although TfL describes it as “independent”, it will be conducted by two former senior officials at the Public Carriage Office, the division of TfL responsible for the cab trade.
Alan Fleming, former chairman of the London Cab Drivers' Club, described TfL's behaviour as “outrageous” and said the law did give it the power to block the killer from training.
He said: “The 1934 Cab Order gives the licensing authority a discretionary power to reject applicants and they should use it,” he said.
Cabbies are planning a protest demonstration outside the PCO. At least one female examiner at the office has refused to be in the same room as the killer.
Reader views (6)
he probably wont complets the knowledge but hes aleady driving a private hire vehicle how sad the pco seem hell bent on watering down standards i now will only use black cabs as we know any tom dick can be a mini cab driver
- Joan Simms, london, 10/09/2009 13:06
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If you use London taxis and you want to be safe, contact the Public Carriage Office and tell them this man must not get a licence. It's a question of when, not if he comes to the Police's attention again. Let's hope it's not for his second murder.
- Bill London Cabby, London, 04/09/2009 15:35
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For the sake of any potential future victims I can only hope that TfL/PCO are right - if wrong the claims against TfL/PCO by the victims of this man will be huge if any future attacks occurred as a result of his work as a taxi driver!
- Andy, london, 04/09/2009 14:02
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When this story first broke it was about a paranoid schizophrenic being allowed to train as a London Black Cab Driver. At that time we were assured by TFL/PCO that every thing was ok, as this person might have killed his wife, but with medication it could not happen again.
Now we find out that he is already licensed as a Private Hire/Minicab Driver, and whilst going about his duties got involved in an incident which caused him to accept a caution for assault.
Thank god a great piece of investigative journalism by Andrew Gilligan has shown us the dangers the PCO /TFL decision makers are prepared to put the general public at whilst practicing their left wing political dogma
- Steve M, LONDON, 04/09/2009 12:38
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But in Britain, thanks to the Leftie Liberals, Civil Rights has come to mean that the rights of the individual take precedence over the rights of wider society - ie, you can do whatever you like!
- Roz, France, 04/09/2009 11:25
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I am all in favour of rehabilitation of offenders and helping people make a start as productive members of society. However, this looks like a disaster waiting to happen. It wouldn't be the first time that "risk assessments" by mental health care "professionals" prove widely off the mark.
- Edward Thompson, Bedfordshire, 04/09/2009 10:52
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