Hereford Times - 14th January 2016 - Page 7

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Hereford Times - 14th January 2016 - Page 7

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Date 14/01/2016
Type
Format
Language English
Area Hereford Times
Collection Holder
Date of Publication 14th January 2016
Transcription l
herefordtlmescom
Thursday, January 14, 2016 THE HEREFORD TIMES 7
Soldier refused to
Pay
taxi fare and
made racist remark
A SERVING soldier re-
fused to pay a taxi driver
and made a racially aggra-
vated comment, a court
heard this week.
Hereford Magistrates
were told that Asif Nazir
picked up Christopher Mc-
Mahon from Commercial
Road in the city centre and
was asked to drive to Bull-
ingham Lane.
However, on arriving at
their destination, McMa-
hon, 34, said he had no
money while another pas-
senger ran away
The court heard that Mc-
Mahon then made a rac~
ist comment but the taxi
driver was unsure whether
it was aimed at him or the
By Rebecca Gain
01432845883
rcaKL/‘hereiordtimescom
Twitter waTNewsroom
person who fled.
Mr Nazir drove McMahon
to a petrol station in Hin-
ton so he could get cash,
but he refused to get out.
He then took McMahon to
Asda but he refused to pay
and got out and walked into
the supermarket.
When Mr Nazir didn’t
drive away McMahon got
back in and asked him to
take him to Bullingham
Lane. However, when Mr
Nazir said he had an out-
standing fare, McMahon
threatened to break his jaw.
The police were called and
McMahon said he thought
the taxi fare was extortion-
ate and initially denied
that he would use racist
words until he listened to
CCTV from the taxi.
Matthew Dunford, miti-
gating, said McMahon was
a staff sergeant, who was
held in high regard by the
army
He said he had an un-
blemished career and had
served around the world —
and had received a Queen’s
commendation for bravery.
Mr Dunford said McMa-
hon was drunk at the time
of the offences and was
ashamed. He said the racist
remark was aimed at the
man who had run away.
He said McMahon was
due to be deployed abroad
in March and he asked for
this to be taken into ac-
count by magistrates.
He said McMahon, whose
address given to the court
was in New Maiden, Sur-
rey, is based in the South
East, but had been sta-
tioned in Hereford.
Magistrates gave him a
conditional discharge of 18
months, ordered him to pay
£130 compensation to the
taxi driver and £135 costs
and £15 Victim surcharge.
Harpist set for lead
role at Festival Hall
A TEENAGER will be leading the
way with the National Youth Or-
chestra (NYO) when some of the
country’s top young musicians
hit the road.
' Hannah Allaway has already
performed in the Royal Albert
Hall, but added another string
to her bow when she was chosen
ahead of her peers to head up the
harp section.
But those unable to attend one of
the concerts could catch the teen-
ager playing in the streets of Her-
efordshire for free, as she plans to
busk to help towards the cost of
being in the NYC.
The head girl at Lady Hawkins
School has been playing the harp
for 10 years and been with the
NYO for the past two years. She
was a harpist with the National
Children's Orchestras for the pre-
Hannah Allaway is making her mark with
vious five years.
ed to be playing once again with
Britain’s premier teenage orches-
tra and, as an added bonus. has
been awarded a prestigious Lever-
hulme Arts Scholarship towards
her NYO seat this year.
Her music has taken her to many
top class performance venues
throughout Britain. and on a con-
cert tour to Germany.
This year she expects to spend
about 50 days with the NYO in
three residential orchestral train-
ing courses in London. Notting-
ham and Birmingham during
school holidays.
The orchestra’s bookings later
this year include the Royal Festi-
val Hall on London’s Southbank.
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall
and the Symphony Hall. Birming-
ham. while the NYO is also sched-
uled to record a CD over the sum—
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The 17—year-old said she is excit- mer.
the National Youth Orchestra
DNA testing to
stop pets’ mess
COULD dogs soon be DNA tested in a
border town to find owners who don’t
clear up their pet’s mess?
Hay-on-Wye town councillor Helen
Davies suggested that a by-law should
be introduced which would mean
dogs were compulsory DNA tested.
This was after a letter was sent to the
town council by resident Jeff Morgan
asking what was being done to pre-
vent dog fouling in the town.
Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe added
that a move to give Police Community
Support Officers (PCSO) the power to
- ,3 fine dog owners was recently rejected
, lS-E by Dyfed Powys Police.
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