Highland Council is set to redo a decision allowing convicted rapist David Brown to keep his taxi operator licence despite him being jailed for almost seven years last month.
The extraordinary move came after a review request hearing came to the council’s licensing committee last Tuesday when it is understood that councillors voted behind-closed-doors by majority to allow Brown to keep the operator’s licence.
It’s not mentioned in this article or the BBC’s article, but the radio reported that the vote was split across gender lines.
What’s the point in a licencing authority if they allow convicted rapists a licence? Especially as he committed the crime while performing the job of driving a taxi.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q2dqzl12zo - a councillor has resigned over this now. I smell the masons in this
He’s resigned and yet still can’t take responsibility for his actions.
Resignation is a signal that you’re accepting you’ve done wrong and atoning for those actions, but his words say otherwise. Trying to justify why he did it, putting the onus on what they’ve been told in licencing by some “other” rather than his own actions.
He had free will, critical thinking, and power. A mysterious bogeyman that told them to be compassionate is a shite excuse. Highland Council will hopefully be the better for his leaving.
Cheers for the update!
Only leaving the committee, not the whole council
Oh of course. Can’t be giving up power that easily!
person’s been locked up for seven years, and he srill hasn’t had enough taken away for some. what job is he supposed to get with no taxi license when he comes out? removing his license after 7 years prison and sex offenders registration is like putting a chain around his neck and tugging on it towards the prison industrial complex
Anything that doesn’t put him in a position of power, alone, with potentially vulnerable people.
It’s specifically a licensed job for those reasons.
Awa’ and beil yer heid with this fucking boak American style rapist apologising reasoning. We don’t have a prison industrial complex here.
I think a large part of the issue is that he commited the rape whilst acting as a taxi driver. I don’t know if you’re a woman, but if you are, consider whether you’d be comfortable getting in to a taxi, alone, with this individual, knowing he’s previously raped a young woman in it. If you’re not, consider if you’d be comfortable with a woman you care about doing the same? I know I wouldn’t be. Then consider that he wouldn’t exacty be advertising the fact he was a convicted rapist, and now all taxi drivers get tarred with that same suspision.
So yes, I’d say he does need to lose his licence, and that fact should be public to reduce the harm to others. He’ll also be barred from any other sensitive occupations where he might be alone with vulnerable people. That’s what happens when you commit a crime like this. Having said that, I would hope that, while he is incarcerated, he receives adaquate training, both to fix whatever made him think raping a vulnerable 18 year old then dumping her on the roadside was acceptable, but also to have a trade he can turn to when he gets out, for exactly the reasons you talk about.
Plenty of bar work, delivery drivers, or lorry drivers needed in Scotland. Inverness is bustling
So you think he should get less than 7 years in the clink but the women he raped get lifelong mental problems. Sounds super fair imo /s
They should just chemically castrate anyone who can’t control their sexual urges.
Imprisoning him for ages doesn’t actually do anything to help his victim. She’s not going to have less trauma for each extra year he gets locked up. What she should be given is therapy and other support
The job of INMATE!
