Convicted Haverhill taxi driver fears for his professional future

A taxi driver who had his license to trade suspended after his arrest for assault fears he will never get it back after his conviction and sentencing for the offence.

Derek Sullivan voiced his concerns when he was sentenced at Bury Magistrates Court last Thursday (August 1) after his conviction last month for driving his car in an intimidating and menacing way towards a six-year-boy.

The 51-year-old, of Chester Court, Haverhill, had been found guilty by magistrates following a trial of a charge of common assault against the boy on September 20, 2012.

Sullivan had got in his car and driven from his home to the nearby Leiston Road car parking area in order to confront the child, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, who he thought had punched his own son - an attack Sullivan said was not the first of its kind.

However, magistrates convicted him of the common assault charge because they felt he had behaved of behaving in a way which put the boy in fear of immediate and unlawful violence.

Sullivan was sentenced by magistrates to serve a 12 month community order, with a supervision order also running for 12 months to address the reason for his offending.

At the time of last September’s offence Sullivan was serving a 12 month conditional discharge for a previous conviction of assault. The breach of the discharge was also factored into his sentence.

At his sentencing, Sullivan told magistrates that St Edmundsbury Council had suspended his taxi driver’s licence following the Leiston Road incident and he has not worked since.

The taxi firm he ran with his wife now has no employees other than her after two drivers on the payroll had to leave.

He also said that because he had his license suspended for a number of months after his previous conviction had been unable to work and was declared bankrupt the day after the incident with the little boy.

Sullivan said: “The council suspended me straight away for, in their words, ‘not being a fit and proper person to drive a taxi.’

“I don’t think I’m going to get it back.

“The council has not even heard my side of the story, they’ve just suspended me.

“I don’t know If I’m ever going to get my license back, probably 99 per cent no.

“If my wife gives up her job and shuts the business we would only have dole money and I’ve got a mortgage to pay and it wouldn’t even cover that, so financially it’s not very good.”

Sullivan was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge, £100 in compensation to the boy and courts costs of £200.

source: http://www.haverhillecho.co.uk/