A taxi driver has been jailed after deliberately knocking down a passenger who had been enjoying his stag weekend in Newcastle.

Matt McCarthy was having pre-wedding fun with pals when they were picked up by cabbie Musum Chowdhury, who took them from the city centre to their hotel in Jesmond. A court heard there had been no problem during the short trip but when one of the men tried to pay the £10 fare by card, Chowdhury demanded cash.

Mr McCarthy said he would go to a nearby cashpoint but the taxi driver then hiked the fare to £20 then to £50 and locked the groom-to-be in the car. After letting him out, he then sped at him, with the wheels of his car spinning and screeching, mounting the pavement to run him over and causing serious injuries in an attack caught on shocking CCTV footage.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in May last year that Mr McCarthy and some friends were staying at the Kenilworth Hotel, on Osborne Road, Jesmond for his stag weekend. After socialising in Newcastle city centre, they got a taxi driven by Chowdhury back to the hotel.

The court heard the journey was uneventful, with no conversation with Chowdhury and the friends talking among themselves about the evening they had enjoyed. When they got to the hotel, Chowdhury told them the fare was £10 but when one of the men tried to pay by card, he said he wanted cash and then said the fare was £20.

Mr McCarthy said he would go with the cabbie to a nearby cashpoint and his friends got out and went into the hotel. Mr McCarthy withdrew the £20 and got back in the back of the taxi. Kevin Wardlaw, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "The defendant then became aggressive, saying the fare was £50 and he kept repeating 'more'.

"As they arrived back at the hotel, Mr McCarthy placed the £20 on the centre console and asked where the fare meter was. The defendant replied 'it's nothing to do with you' and became more aggressive and locked Mr McCarthy in the taxi."

The passenger responded by saying "Here's the £20 now let me out and stop taking the ****." Chowdhury then unlocked the car and Mr McCarthy got out.

Mr Wardlaw said: "Mr McCarthy began walking away and heard the defendant shouting at him out of the window he had wound down. He ignored the defendant and became aware of the taxi reversing.

"He heard the sound of tyres screeching and wheels spinning. He lost consciousness and his next recollection is waking up on the pavement covered in blood."

A passing pedestrian came to his aid and he later attended hospital and was found to have a wound to the side of his right eye, a black eye, grazing to the side of his face and tenderness to his lip.

Mr McCarthy has no recollection of what happened but a witness heard screeching tyres and looked to see Chowdhury's taxi collide with him before fleeing at speed. A passing police officer was flagged down and a small pool of blood was found on the path, together with a headlamp washer cover plate.

Meanwhile, Chowdhury had contacted the police to try to cover his back, claiming he had been attacked and that the victim had struck his wing mirror as he drove off. However, there was no damage to the wing mirror and prosecutors did not accept his version of events.

Police recovered CCTV from a nearby premises which revealed what had actually happened. Mr Wardlaw said: "It shows the defendant reversing his taxi. Mr McCarthy comes into view on the footpath before the defendant accelerates forwards, causing the wheels to spin and he drove directly at Mr McCarthy, striking him with the front nearside of the car and driving off."

The court heard the victim feared for his life and has been left with a permanent scar and it has had a psychological impact on his day-to-day life.

Chowdhury, 44, of Cumbria Walk, Newcastle, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed for 14 months and will be banned from driving for three years upon his release and will have to sit an extended driving test if he wants to get back on the road.

Passing sentence, Judge Tim Gittins said: "As the CCTV shows, you reversed back so that you were ahead of him then drove at speed with wheels spinning, mounting the pavement and striking him. He can be seen to be taking a heavy blow - not, as you suggested, a clip with your wing mirror, and he was knocked to the ground unconscious.

"The fact is, you could have killed him. You demonstrated you are not fit to drive - your reaction to the altercation was wholly disproportionate in using your vehicle to threaten him and to injure him.

"It was a deliberate and highly dangerous manoeuvre that could have caused life-changing injuries. Fortunately the physical injuries, although serious, were not as grave as they could have been."

He added: "This is too serious to merit anything other than an immediate custodial sentence. Those who drive dangerously deliberately, particularly those who cause serious injury in the process like you did here, need to appreciate only immediate sentences of imprisonment will follow."

The court was provided with character references speaking highly of Chowdhury and Christopher Knox, defending, said: "This really is inexplicable. He is respectable and living with his wife who has reputable employment and is expecting their third child." The court heard he is remorseful for his "moment of madness".

After the case, PC Steve Scorer of Northumbria Police’s Motor Patrols team, said: “This was a shocking case which saw a licensed taxi driver deliberately collide with an innocent pedestrian walking on the footpath. Not only did Chowdhury drive in a dangerous manner, but following the collision, he fled the scene leaving the pedestrian seriously injured.

“It is only sheer luck that the victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries – and I am pleased to see that Chowdhury is now behind bars for his actions. This should serve as a timely reminder to any road user who drives in a dangerous or careless manner in our communities.

“As a force, please know that we will do everything to keep our roads safe for all and put those found to be driving dangerously and flouting the law before the courts.”

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-taxi-driver-jailed-deliberately-28329093