Bailiff attacked by Thatcham taxi driver

Man hit and headbutted while trying to collect fine

A TAXI driver from Thatcham headbutted a bailiff sent to collect a parking fine.

Mohamed Gara denied attacking the enforcement officer who arrived at his Park Avenue home to collect the debt, which had risen to £422.

But following a day-long trial on Thursday last week, Newbury magistrates rejected his story that the officer, who needed stitches to his nose, had been accidentally injured by his own colleague.

They told 50-year-old Mr Gara – who also has a conviction for drink-driving – that they believed he was lying to prevent his taxi licence being revoked.

The bailiff, Martin Gould, said Mr Gara had managed to evade his colleagues three times, on one occasion swearing at the officer before driving off.

On the fourth occasion, Mr Gould told the court he gained access to the family home and confronted the taxi driver.

He said Mr Gara told him he could not pay outright and said: “Take the goods instead.”

But when Mr Gould tried to take the keys to his car, Mr Gara struck him without warning in the face and then headbutted him.

The officer said that, as he reeled backwards from the surprise attack, Mr Gara grabbed his throat and shoved him repeatedly against the wall.

Magistrates were shown pictures of his bloodied face with stitches to the wound.

Mr Gould said: “I was shocked.”

The enforcement officer’s colleague rushed to his aid and called police, magistrates were told.

Mr Gara later told police Mr Gould had barged into his living room “as if it were a raid, shouting and screaming, demanding cash”.

He said he never touched the bailiff who, he claimed, was injured when his colleague also ran into the house “like a bull”, barging the door into Mr Gould’s face.

Under cross examination by Jennifer Riddell, prosecuting, the taxi driver admitted he had not wanted Mr Gould to take the keys to his Peugot V5 taxi “because that’s my livelihood”.

Robert Slinn, for Mr Gara, said his client had suffered a stroke before the incident and could not raise his left arm.

But medical papers handed to magistrates did not bear out the stroke claim, stating only that Mr Gara had complained of weakness in the arm.

After deliberating for 45 minutes, magistrates convicted Mr Gara of assault by beating on March 3 and of obstructing a lawful enforcement agent on the same occasion.

Presiding magistrate Brenda Harding said she and her colleagues required pre-sentence reports to be prepared on Mr Gara.

He was meanwhile released on unconditional bail until September 17.