28-year-old Indian-origin taxi driver, Amritpal Singh Gill received a suspended sentence after he ran down a drunken customer who had refused to pay, breaking both his legs, reports.
The incident dates back to May 2012, when after being racially abused by a previous passenger, Gill faced another customer, who claimed to have forgotten his wallet at home and refused to pay the fare.
This customer alongwith his partner had boarded Gill’s taxi in Adelaide and after reaching destination claimed that he didn’t have his wallet on him.
When Gill proposed to drive the couple back to their home to pick it up, the customer refused, and instead got into a heated argument where he refused to pay at all.
Gill’s counsel told the court that the customer was drunk and abusive. Royal Adelaide Hospital medical staff who treated the victim also confirmed that the customer had been intoxicated.
The customer however claimed that Gill had switched off the meter and asked for $40 for a trip which was merely 4 minutes long.
The couple walked off from Gill but Gill followed them, still in the taxi.
When the couple saw him following them, the man ran towards the car and started banging on the bonnet and the side of the car.
Gill performed a three-point turn and drove into the victim.
On Thursday, the District Court Judge sentenced Gill to one year and 10 months’ jail with a non-parole period of 10 months on charges of recklessly causing harm to another and failing to stop after an accident.
Judge Geraldine Davison said Gill “did nothing to avoid hitting him.” He also did not understand the extent of the victim’s injuries as he drove away without stopping.
wrote that both of the victim’s legs were broken and he spent four weeks in hospital.
Judge Davison however suspended this sentence as she had been presented with numerous character references for Gill who after this incident, had stopped driving taxis and had completed his further education.
Judge Davison instead placed him on a two-year good-behaviour bond and ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service.
Gill’s drivers’ licence has been suspended for two years.
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