A PART- time Skipton taxi driver who caused a motorcyclist to crash off his bike, causing him significant injuries, has been given a community sentence by magistrates.

Abid Ur Rehman, 34, was making a u-turn on Belmont Bridge, Skipton, in his Ford Mondeo at about 3pm on November 9, when a motorcyclist was coming over the bridge, from the direction of Broughton Road, heard the Skipton court.

The driver of the Honda VT750 managed to avoid a collision, but came off his bike, and both slid for some distance along the road.

Members of the public rushed to help the rider, Andrew Gudgeon, while Rehman, after initially driving off into a side road, drove off to collect his child from school in Long Preston without reporting the incident to police.

His details had been taken by a member of the public, and his actions had been recorded on a nearby shop’s in-store CCTV camera, the court heard.

He was interviewed by police on January 10 when he said he had been on his way to collect his child from school and had not noticed the motorcycle approaching.

In a victim statement, read out in court, Mr Gudgeon said he had suffered both physically and mentally as a result of the accident, had spent time off work and had struggled to wash and dress himself, care for his young child, and carry out household tasks.

He said he felt nervous and anxious about getting on a motorbike again and had suffered vivid dreams and bouts of sleeplessness.

His injuries included grazes to neck and shoulders, bruising to arms and knees, muscle spasms and jaw ache. Rehman, a man of previous good character, who admitted driving without due care and attention, of failing to stop after an accident, and not reporting it, had seen Mr Gudgeon come off his bike, but because there had been no actual contact, had not thought he needed to report it, the court was told.

In mitigation, Mohammed Abid, said Rehman had not seen the motorcyclist on the bridge and it was only when he was half way through the manoeuvre had he seen him, and by that time, he had already fallen and was sliding towards him.

Because there had been no collision, Rehman had believed there was no need to report it to police, or to exchange details. He had also been advised by another taxi driver, who had seen the incident, that he had not been at fault.

Mr Abid said once Rehman had been shown the CCTV footage by police, he had immediately admitted it had been his fault.

It was a ‘momentary lapse’ and had not been a case of persistent careless driving, said Mr Abid, who added in addition to being a part time taxi driver, Rehman was a family man who worked full time in a pharmaceutical factory.

Magistrates, who asked for the CCTV footage to be played in court, told Rehman, of Pendle Street, he made the manoeuvre despite being fully aware he could not see vehicles coming towards him.

He was given a 12 month community order with 150 hours unpaid work. His licence was endorsed with ten penalty points and he will have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £85.