Cabbie escapes jail after bridesmaid suffers catalogue of injuries

A BRIDESMAID returning home after a wedding suffered a catalogue of injuries when her taxi was involved in a head-on smash last summer, a court heard.

Jodie Miller, 19, initially appeared to be “walking wounded” following the late-night collision on the notorious Meltham Road in Huddersfield, but after being admitted to hospital she was found to have suffered broken vertebra, two broken ribs, a punctured lung, lacerated spleen, torn duodenum and tears to her stomach.

Dave Mackay, prosecuting, told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that the teenager underwent two operations during her month-long stay in hospital and had a titanium plate screwed to her vertebra.

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Her boyfriend, James Westcott, suffered bruising, soreness and a cut to his forehead and their taxi driver, Ghullam Abbas Kha,n was also badly injured.

The court heard that Mr Khan suffered a fractured right hip, requiring the insertion of an artificial socket and plates, as well as other cuts and bruises.

He was in a coma overnight and also spent a month in hospital.

Their taxi had been hit head-on last July by another cab being driven by Mohammed Saleem.

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Saleem, 26, was yesterday given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted dangerous driving and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Miss Miller and Mr Khan.

Saleem, of Glebe Street, Marsh, Huddersfield, was ordered to do 300 hours unpaid work for the community and must also take an extended driving test at the end of his five-year driving ban.

Mr Mackay told Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC that Saleem’s Vauxhall Astra was seen being driven at speed and overtaking other motorists shortly before the collision.

One driver, Richard Mellor, had to brake and swerve to avoid a collision himself with Saleem’s taxi and said: “He’s going to kill someone if he continues driving like that.”

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Saleem’s taxi was said to have narrowly avoided another collision with an on-coming car before he pulled out to overtake newly qualified driver Samantha Marriott.

Mr Mackay said the manoeuvre took place at a location where the road is a blind right-hand bend cresting a hill.

The impact of the head-on crash spun both cars around and Miss Miller and her partner described being thrown around in the back despite the fact that they were wearing seat belts.

“The impact caused massive damage to both taxis,” said Mr Mackay.

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Saleem, who suffered a broken arm and ribs in the crash, was arrested from hospital the next morning.

He claimed he was driving normally and said something came into the side of him and he blacked out.

But sentencing Saleem, Judge Durham Hall said on the night of the crash he had been sent to pick up a fare that wasn’t there and he was rushing back to town angry and frustrated.

“You made a series of mistakes in the driving of your taxi,” the judge told Saleem.

“You frankly conceded you were driving dangerously and when you made a reckless overtaking manoeuvre you collided with another taxi causing fortunately not fatal but serious injury.”