I READ with disbelief the heading in last week’s Bury Times – Cabbie kicked new mum – thinking it couldn’t be right. 

On reading the article, it was exactly that – my heart goes out to the poor lady who suffered this vicious assault carried out by Zafar Iqbal Qurashi.

I equally read with disbelief the sentence this man received – 16-week prison sentence suspended for a year and 150 hours unpaid work – apparently this was the harshest sentence they could impose – why on earth didn’t the magistrate refer this case to the Crown Court? 

If this is how he behaves in broad daylight outside a busy supermarket, goodness knows what else he is capable of?

The taxi driver's taxi driver licence was also revoked – of course it should be – but what makes the court think that someone with such a horrid disrespect for mankind, a man who viciously assaulted a woman, would respect this ruling anyway?

If there is an appeals procedure against this sentence, may I suggest the lawyers do just that – although I suspect the lady who was assaulted is still too traumatised to set this in motion.

I really hope this lady has recovered and wish her and her baby well.

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