Journalist ‘locked in taxi’ after heater row
A CHANNEL 4 news correspondent was locked in a black cab on the day of the Westminster terrorist attack after a row with the driver over the car’s heater, a court heard.
Helia Ebrahimi, 39, the channel’s business correspondent, was trapped in the back of the London taxi driven by James Wilkinson, a jury was told. During the journey on March 22, the journalist, of British Iranian decent, asked for the heater to be turned on but it was not working, the court heard.
Wilkinson, 57, said it was working, but Ms Ebrahimi said it was still blowing cold air and she would not pay the fare for the “freezing” journey. The driver became angry and began to return to where he picked her up and did not let Ms Ebrahimi out, despite her pleas for him to stop, the court heard.
Wilkinson is on trial at Blackfriars Crown Court charged with false imprisonment of the journalist and dangerous driving. The court heard he made remarks to Ms Ebrahimi, including one regarding police being busy on the day because of “the likes of you”. It is also claimed he said “this country used to have good people” and called her a thief.
The journey at 8.20pm came hours after Khalid Masood drove his car across Westminster Bridge into pedestrians, killing four people, before stabbing a police officer to death.
Ms Ebrahimi filmed part of her journey before she was dropped off near the ITN offices in Holborn. As she tried to get a shot of the taxi driver’s badge, the vehicle moved forward and then reversed, knocking her to the ground, leaving her with bruises, a trapped sciatic nerve and damage to her £600 trousers, the court heard.
Ms Ebrahimi told the court she made repeated requests for the heating to be turned up. “He became frustrated and said to me ‘if you are going to be like that you can get out’. I felt that was really offensive. I was quite upset. I didn’t understand why he was so angry.
“I said if he was trying to kick me out here I’m not going to pay the fare. At that point he told me ‘I’m not going to let you out then.’”
Giving evidence, Mr Wilkinson described Ms Ebrahimi as “rude” and a “bully”. He told the court he did not notice Ms Ebrahimi’s Iranian heritage. Mr Wilkinson, of Faversham, Kent, denies the two charges. The trial continues.