An Aberdeen taxi driver has been stripped of his licence after taking thousands of pounds from a widow’s bank account.
William Cameron is accused of withdrawing around £8,000 from the pensioner’s account without permission.
He had been trusted to take out money for her as she nursed her dying husband through illness in 2021.
She’s now raised fears she might not have been Mr Cameron’s only victim.
The taxi driver of 20 years, did not appear at his hearing in front of Aberdeen City Council’s licensing committee on Wednesday.
But he claims that he never once took money from his alleged victim’s account without permission.
On Wednesday night, Mr Cameron told The P&J he had not heard the committee’s ruling.
He declined to comment when informed his licence had been revoked.
‘Not fit and proper’ to be an Aberdeen taxi driver
Despite his claims of innocence, Aberdeen councillors unanimously voted to tear up his taxi licence, deeming him “not a fit and proper person” to have one.
Alasdair Taylor, a senior associate at Burnett and Reid, made the case for Mr Cameron to lose his job.
He raised a formal complaint in August about the taxi driver, on behalf of his then 71-year-old client.
In a written submission, Mr Taylor told councillors: “In 2021, [my client] spent much of
the year caring for her husband up until his death in August.
“While [she] was not housebound, due to the need to care for her husband, she rarely left the house.
“Over this period, she and her husband were befriended by William Cameron, a
taxi driver, who would regularly run errands for them, which included going to the ATM to withdraw money for her.”
Missing money uncovered after husband’s death
At that time, Mr Taylor said, the taxi driver was facing money troubles.
And the couple agreed to lend their friend cash.
But, after the death of her husband, Mr Taylor said it “became apparent that, when taking out money for [my client], Mr Cameron had also been withdrawing cash for his own use”.
“After being challenged on this, Mr Cameron admitted what he had done and agreed to repay the money but only did so to a limited extent,” he added.
The unauthorised cash withdrawals were reported to police.
Concerns widow ‘may not be the only individual of whom Aberdeen taxi driver has taken advantage’
But the woman wanted to settle the matter without any inevitable consequences for Mr Cameron’s job.
So in June 2022, the pair agreed a scheme for the taxi driver to pay back the £8,000 at a rate of £100 a week.
But, the solicitor Mr Taylor narrated: “It will come as no surprise to be informed that [Mr Cameron] failed to keep up the payments.”
Having paid back only £600, debt collectors were then enlisted to claw back the cash – to no avail.
The alleged theft has been raised again with police since but – “perhaps surprisingly,” said Mr Taylor – officers have “declined to take further action”.
He concluded: “Insofar as Mr Cameron has failed to take advantage of the opportunity given to him, and due to our client’s concerns that she may not be the only individual of whom he has taken advantage, she considers it appropriate that his actions be considered when assessing whether or not he is a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence.”
Ruling on Aberdeen taxi driver Cameron’s licence delayed for six months
Mr Cameron, who had his hearing delayed last September and December while he sought legal advice, was not at Aberdeen Town House to face the charges.
In response to the solicitor’s 600-word submission, the – now former – taxi driver offered only 12.
“I did not take any money without permission.
“Sent from my iPhone.”
Licensing committee vice-convener Steve Delaney urged colleagues to revoke Mr Cameron’s licence as he was not a “fit and proper person” to hold one.
Conversation