Verdict delivered by cellphone

2005-02-04 22:51

London - A taxi driver has become the first person in Britain to be sentenced by a judge via cellphone.

When Aftab Ahmed, 44, found he was stuck in traffic on the way to court in Ipswich, in eastern England, he called the court to explain his predicament, the Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.

After checking that the defendant was a passenger in the car, and not behind the wheel holding a cellphone, Judge Caroline Ludlow gave him the choice of hearing his sentence over the phone or having the case adjourned.

"I took the view that I might as well get it all over with and hear what was going to happen to me on the phone", Ahmed said.

He was sentenced to 140 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £750 (1,350 dollars) after pleading guilty for failing to disclose fully his financial affairs during bankruptcy proceedings.

"It does not really bother me that I might have made legal history. If they had waited for me to appear in court it would only have cost more money and wasted more time", Ahmed said. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA