Police refuse to press charges after elderly taxi driver is attacked
A 62-year-old taxi driver feels he has been denied justice after police failed to press charges over an incident in which he was “viciously assaulted” by his passenger.
Driver Mohammed Aslam said the attack took place outside Bolton police station in Scholey Street where the Aslam drove because the passenger was behaving aggressively.
The taxi driver had to be treated in hospital after receiving cuts and bruises to the face, police informed him that the case would not be taken further due to conflicting accounts of the incident.
He has now complained to Greater Manchester Police as well as the region’s crime commissioner and local councillors in a bid for justice.
Mr Aslam said, “It appears that the investigating officer is not pressing charges because he believes the perpetrator acted in self-defence, but this is ridiculous — I am a frail 62-year-old man who cannot physically attack anyone.”
Aslam said he picked up the male customer, said to be in his twenties, along with another customer from an address in Tonge Fold just before 7pm. After Aslam accidentally took the passengers to the wrong destination he claims they became aggressive and started shouting, Aslam claims, “He was swearing a lot and saying racist remarks to me. He was very aggressive so I pulled in and told him to get out.”
“The men wouldn’t get out so I drove them to the police station in Scholey Street.”
Once in Scholey Street, the 62-year-old alleges that the younger man got out and violently kicked his car, prompting the driver to get out of the taxi.
“I shouted at him because he kicked the car and that is when he punched me hard in the eye — he followed this with four or five more punches to my head.
“He kicked me and pushed me again but then two police officers came running to help because I think officers inside the station had contacted them on the radio.”
Aslam admits he grabbed the attacker by the shirt to stop him from running from the police, this was the only point at which he touched him. Once at the hospital the man was apprehended by the police, however Aslam states he heard nothing back regarding the charges.
He said, “Three weeks later I asked my nephew to contact them and he said they would not be taking any action — I felt terrible and I couldn’t believe it.
“This man viciously beat me up and he should be punished.
“What upsets me the most is that he had no regard for my age — I am a frail man with a white beard and he showed me no respect or moral decency, and yet he has walked away.
“Surely it should be for the courts to decide if he acted in self-defence?”
A police spokesman said, “It has been decided that no further action will be taken in this case because of a conflict in the accounts of what happened.”
Aslam has now been contacted by Jim Battle, the deputy police and crime commissioner, and Bolton councillor Linda Thomas, who have both agreed to investigate the issue.
