Jail warning to taxi driver who caused death (From Swindon Advertiser)

Jail warning to taxi driver who caused death

11:40am Wednesday 25th November 2009

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A taxi driver has been warned he faces jail after admitting causing the death of one of his passengers through dangerous driving.

Shehzad Akbar had been working for 14 hours when he fell asleep at the wheel of his red Honda Accord.

The 33-year-old post graduate student’s T-reg taxi was the only vehicle involved in the crash which left his fare Kenneth Riddett, 44, dead.

Mr Riddett was travelling from his home in Shepley Drive, Southcote, Reading, to Milford House, in Swindon town centre, where he was working as a train controller for First Great Western.

But the taxi crashed at the junction of Queens Drive and Whitbourne Avenue shortly before 7am on Sunday, October 19, last year.

He was initially thought to be not seriously injured but was found to have suffered massive internal injuries and died four days later at the Great Western Hospital.

Akbar, of Granby Gardens, Reading, had initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

But before a jury could be sworn in on the first morning of his trial at Swindon Crown Court he changed his plea to guilty.

Rosie Collins, prosecuting, said he had pleaded guilty on a certain basis which generally reflected the Crown’s case.

“He was a taxi driver. He had been working for a 14-hour shift before picking up Mr Riddett,” she said.

“He didn’t work continuously; there were a number of call-outs in that time with gaps between. Effectively he was tired: He fell asleep at the wheel.

“He is 33-years-old, married with one child. He is in this country on a student visa and working part time as a taxi driver.”

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case to allow the probation service time to compile a pre-sentence report.

He said: “It is serious matter. Custody is inevitable. In these matters a pre-sentence report I think is necessary for the judge.”

As the offence carries a mandatory ban he imposed an interim driving disqualification and the ultimate length of it will be decided when he is sentenced.

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