Hawkar Karimi, 37, exchanged punches with another driver in the middle of Wavertree Road in Edge Hill, Liverpool, before chasing him in his taxi and deliberately ramming his car several times. The incident began over a disagreement at a red light, when Karimi left his vehicle to confront the other motorist, who he believed had been using his phone instead of paying attention while waiting at a set of traffic lights.
Fight turns into high-speed chase
The fracas took place at around 7pm on September 13 last year. During the fight, Karimi was thrown to the ground after receiving a blow to the head. Rather than ending there, the confrontation escalated when Karimi re-entered his taxi and began chasing the other man as he tried to drive away in his black Volkswagen.
The pair reached speeds of 40mph and went through red lights on a series of busy roads. Karimi caught up with the other motorist, deliberately ramming into his car before continuing the chase and ramming him several more times.
Arrest and court proceedings
Eventually, the other driver jumped out of his car and began running away on foot. Karimi then smashed into the vehicle again, sending it crashing into a local shop, at which point police approached and arrested him.
The court heard that Karimi had chased the man because he did not want him to get away with punching him. Karimi, who had no previous convictions, admitted dangerous driving and told the court he regretted his actions. His lawyer, Matthew Cullen, insisted Karimi was a "positively contributing" member of society and that the incident was out of character.
Sentence handed down
Judge Stuart Driver KC branded his driving "disgraceful" and said he deserved to be locked up. However, Karimi was spared jail after the judge ruled there were no "exceptional circumstances" that would allow him to hand down an immediate prison sentence under new laws introduced earlier this year.
Instead, he received a 12-month suspended sentence, was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and placed under probation supervision for a year. He was also banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge.
