PLEASE NOTE; THIS PETITION ENDED ON MAY 21.  THE OUTCOME OF THE HEARING OF THE CAB LICENSING BOARD IS AS FOLLOWS:

PAUL CHEQUER HAS RECEIVED A THREE MONTH BAN FROM DRIVING TAXIS AND SIX POINTS ON HIS TAXI LICENSE.  HE HAS TO HAVE AN UPDATED CRB CHECK BEFORE HE CAN COMMENCE TAXI DRIVING IN SEPTEMBER.

NOT AS GOOD AN OUTCOME AS WE WERE HOPING FOR, BUT THIS PETITION DEFINATLY HELPED.

THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO CARED ENOUGH TO SIGN.

Cindy, a 14.1 arab/cob mare was deliberately mown down by a taxi driver on June 2nd 2011. She was left dying in agony - her internal injuries killed her after about 20 minutes, just before the vet arrived. She was a safe pony, one who was ridden mainly by young teenagers, and she was being schooled with a view to selling as a pony club animal. Her rider, on that day, was a man who rented a paddock from us for his own ponies. What we didn't know - or care about -  was that  Chequer had a personal grievance with the rider.  But he didn't pull the rider off the horse and hit him, which is what a real man would do - no, he decided to drive into the animal. He did this at excessive speed (in a 30 mph limit, outside our farm) accompanied by prolonged blasting of the horn. There were several witnesses, including one who heard him sneer at the rider that his 'insurance will cover that'. The rider suffered a fractured knee. Sadly, it appears he took fright and 'disappeared' for several weeks. We are no longer in touch with him and wonder if perhaps he took an out of court settlement. We were promised a trial, due to take place on 28 May 2012, but, out of the blue received notification that a plea bargain had seen the charge go from 'dangerous' to 'careless' driving....... For deliberately driving into an innocent animal - which is murder - he was fined £300 and had 6 points on his licence. I cannot go into what I think about the fools who are doling out these 'punishments'. My partner and I were contacted by the drivers insurers; he admitted full liability - foolishly perhaps, I thought that was an admission of guilt. Obviously not. Now, all we can do is try to get his hackney carriage licence revoked; it won't bring the pony back, but,perhaps it will be some tiny consolation to me, because I'm still suffering emotionally............I've been around animals all my life and where there's livestock, there's also deadstock, but I've never had to witness a creature dying so cruelly and so slowly. I'm haunted. Please sign this petition, so that we may try, at least, to get some kind of driving ban. The drivers name is Paul Chequer of Chequer Cabs, Bridgwater, Somerset. Thankyou so much.

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