Innocent: Mahza Khan

A TAXI driver accused of kidnapping and robbing a woman has been cleared of both charges.

Hackney cab driver Mahza Kahn, aged 38 of Nelson, Lancashire was found not guilty by a jury at Warrington Crown Court this afternoon.

Mr Kahn had denied the charge that Deborah Mellor of Widnes had been left hysterical near Fiddlers Ferry at around 11pm on September 8 last year after the defendant attacked and robbed her.

Giving evidence this morning he said: "She started to lash out at me and she started to hit me on the head. She was attacking me from behind and she was distracting me from driving. I decided that I should probably pull up somewhere safer where there was no obstruction for other road users and cause an accident on the road."

Khan said that she continued attacking him and then got out of the car and started running before falling back onto some railings.

He added: "I lifted her up, I grabbed hold of her arm but she was still throwing punches at me. I got her up and she helped herself.

"I gave her the options to take her back (to where the journey started at Central Railway Station) because that's what we do in this circumstance. She had calmed down and she handed me £15 and I gave her 50p change.

"If she had refused to pay me and go back in this kind of circumstance we would ring the police - that would have been the last resort. I would never have forced her against her will."

When Ian Metcalf, defending Kahn asked why he had driven off leaving Ms Mellor alone. Khan said that he was in shock himself and that Ms Mellor was in distress, but through only her own fault.

In cross examination, Rhys Rowlands, prosecutor questioned why Khan was concerned about Ms Mellor's safety when she had supposedly been attacking him. Khan responded by saying that as a taxi driver safety was the first priority to consider.

Khan said that he failed to contact the police after the incident because he had received the fare for the journey and thought that the matter was over.

4:34pm Thursday 22nd May 2008

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