Paul Stevas, what the newspapers are saying

THE INDEPENDANT

A taxi driver killed a teenager when he drove off with his cab door open, a court heard today.
Aaron Todd, 18, died when black cab driver Paul Stephenson accelerated away from a kerb in the early hours of March 29 last year.
The teenager was the last of five friends to leave Stephenson's Fiat Scudo after he stopped on Hedworth Lane in Jarrow, South Tyneside, to allow one of them to be sick.
Stephenson, 60, of St Hilda Street, South Shields, South Tyneside, believed the friends were attempting to "do a runner" without paying the £8.40 fare, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
But he did not realise Aaron was still on board as he drove away with the passenger sliding door still open, he told police.
The teenager, of Kirkstone Avenue, Jarrow, suffered fatal head injuries as he exited the cab and died in hospital six days later.
Prosecutor Peter Gair told a jury Stephenson's view of the rear of his car was obscured by pillars separating the driver's and passenger areas.
But he said that as a taxi driver with more than 30 years experience, he should have made sure his cab was empty before driving away.
He told the court: "The crown's case is that somebody who takes young drunk men in their vehicle at night has a duty of care to ensure the safety of those passengers.
"By driving off with the sliding door open without being in a position to know whether anyone was in the rear of that vehicle was such as to put anyone who was in the rear of that vehicle in danger of personal injury.
"That person was Aaron and that injury resulted in him dying.
"It is impossible to say whether Aaron jumped or fell out but having exited the taxi as it moved away he suffered fatal head injuries.
"He should never have been in a position where he was in a moving vehicle with the door open.
"The defendant should have known that and is therefore responsible for his death."
Aaron's friend Daniel Smith, 19, of Crieff Grove, Jarrow, said the group had been drinking in South Shields celebrating a friend's birthday before they were picked up.
They asked to be driven to the Greyhound pub in Jarrow, but told Stephenson to stop the cab when one of their group felt sick. Mr Smith said he was standing with one foot one the kerb and one in the taxi when Stephenson suddenly put his foot down, driving off with Aaron still on board.
Stephenson denies causing death by dangerous driving and an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.
The trial, which is expected to last four days, continues tomorrow.

If this was the case then why were his friends no where to be seen and later arrested for making off without payment. Mind they were let off but why, it makes me sick.
The plain and simple truth is they were doing a runner which is against the law and we get shit on all the time.
Now I was told that they opened the door and jumped out at the bend when the bus slowed down, is this not the case now MMMMM Im puzzled, we will here some more tomorrow.

Been doing this job quite a while now and its got to the stage now that its just not worth doing it anymore. Just to many things going against drivers trying to make a living

I agree matey ,just look at what happened to me and the charges were dropped against the 2 lads its a joke ,it cost me money to repair it.
Im really fed up ,last weekend another mate had a runner and the list goes on and on

John turner god robbed the week b4 bank holiday took all his money police couldnt do anything.

Ohhhhhhhhhh I didnt know anything about that mind ,hope the guy is ok as something like that ,no matter how much you can handle yourself could scare you off doing the job again. Did he get hurt, is there any ID on these guys

he got money up front to take them out of town. When he got them there they took the upfront money and his clip. He went to the police but they wernt intrested and to date they havnt even took a statement of him

unless it's handing out fixed penalty tickets, speeding fines, or prosecuting law abiding citizens for petty things they don't want to know as at the end of the day what would the scum get if caught. a slap on the wrists ?

Just getting this of the Too many taxis site




Tyneside taxi driver caused passenger’s death

News admin | May 06, 2010 | Comments 0
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Source:BBC News

A taxi driver has been convicted of causing the death of a passenger after driving off with his cab door open.

Paul Stephenson, 61, picked up Aaron Todd and four others from South Tyneside in March last year, and pulled over to allow one of them to be sick.

He sped off, and 18-year-old Mr Todd was injured when he fell or jumped out.

Stephenson, who told Newcastle Crown Court he feared the group were trying to avoid paying, was found guilty of causing death by careless driving.

The jury was instructed to clear him of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving, which he denied.

The five friends got out of Stephenson’s Fiat Scudo when he stopped on Hedworth Lane, Jarrow, on 29 March.

Stephenson said the group, who had been celebrating a birthday, had told him he was not going to get paid.

When he sped away, he claimed he thought the taxi – which has a sliding door – was empty.

Mr Todd, from Jarrow, died in hospital six days later from serious head wounds.

Mr Justice Davis granted bail for the defendant but warned that did not mean he would definitely avoid prison.

He said: “I am keeping my options open on this one.”

Stephenson, of St Hilda Street in South Shields, will be sentenced later this month.

An interim driving ban was ordered ahead of the hearing.

Bloody hell ,mind the story that im reading is totally different to the one I heard at the beginning of all this, but what they have to realise is that the drivers safety is also important, driving away was his best option with the amount of passengers he had.So now he has no licence at the moment that means no income. I dont know what to make of it all. When he went back and seen the lad on the ground was his mates there, if not then that surely proves they did do a runner.

even if he doesn't get jail god knows what the council will do about his plate. he should have transferred it to some 1 else 1st.

paul got 9 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months & 18 month driving ban. condolences to both aaron & paul who will have to live with it, neither deserved it. BUT i would not have got out to shut the back door & were was the poor lads so called friends

So what does that mean exactly, he wont go to prison if he keeps out of trouble is this correct. I feel for the lads family it must be an awful thing to go through, one silly mad moment and a lost life. Paul has gone through the mill with this, I still say if there were 5 lads outside my bus that were not willing to pay me then I wouldnt get out either to check if my doors were shut, he defo done the correct thing in my eyes driving away, he has already been attacked before. These poeple just dont understand ,what about our safety should we get out the car everytime and put ourselves in danger, no defo not ,I would still do the same thing and drive away why should I leave my wife and bairn without a husband/dad.
At the end of the day we all wish we could turn the clocks back for all involved.

you are correct daryn. i couldn't agree more your post is spot on

Took a guy home to scotchestate last night asked me what i thought about it ,told him it was an injustice only to find out one of the lads was his son He then went on to tell me his son is still bumping taxis didnt seem that botherered,only thing he went on about was how paul didnt show any remorse about what happened in court,great aint it one of the boys fathers admitting he still bumps us

well that just goes to show you doesnt it, how bloody stupid is that ,if thats how the dad reacts then no wonder the kids are so fxxxing stupid. Honest we need all the taxi drivers to know about this ,we defo need to be asking for money upfront all the time. Last night I turned down everyone who had food and Im pretty much sure Im well within my right to do so. My mate last night had 2 lads walk towards his vehicle and he didnt like the looks of them ,he asked for cash up front they were going to Marsden, they had no money on them so well done my mate.