'Tired' crash cabbie escapes jail sentence

A BISHOPSTONE cab driver who was so tired that he crashed his taxi into a parked van in Peacehaven has been ordered to do 240 hours community service.

Michael Breeds, 55, of Marine Parade, was convicted of dangerous driving after a trial in July and sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Thursday last week.

Sentencing him, Judge David Rennie said Breeds had deserved to go to prison but spared him jail after disqualifying him from driving for two years.

Breeds was taking a group of four young people back to their homes in Seaford from Brighton when the accident happened at 3am after he had worked for 19 hours.

At his trial the court heard that Breeds had lost concentration because of tiredness and crashed into the back of a van on the A259.

He told police he had a momentary loss of concentration after turning round because of an incident in the back of his cab.

But the court heard he was either asleep at the wheel or trying so hard to stay awake that he was not concentrating on road.

No witnesses saw brake lights appear on Breed's cab before the impact, it was alleged, suggesting that he was not aware of the van in front of him.

Breeds denied dangerous driving but was found guilty by a jury.

Judge David Rennie said he deserved jail but added that losing his driving licence and job would have a huge impact on Breeds.

He said: 'Vehicles driven on our roads have the potential to maim and to kill if they are in the wrong hands. When they are driven by people who are tired or likely to nod off, they are in the wrong hands.

'Every time a person gets in the back of a taxi that person has, in my view, the right to feel confident that the driver's ability is not impaired.'