The YEP understands Wakefield Council will now revoke Ashiq's hackney carriage licence after being found guilty of failing to report and failing to stop after an accident.
Ashiq, 53, who has worked as a taxi driver for 27 years, took four days to h
and himself over to police despite Stephanie being dragged 25 yards to her death beneath his vehicle as she fled from her kidnapper. The father-of-four was escorted by police as he walked free from court yesterday after he was sentenced by magistrates.
Remorse
Dewsbury magistrates heard how Ashiq had been subject to threats, abuse and violence after he was originally charged with manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving.
It was not until July last year that the charges were reduced to failing to report and stop after an accident and driving with two defective tyres. Ashiq's solicitor, John Wilkinson, told magistrates that life for him and his family "not been easy" since the incident because of the high profile nature of the case.
He said: "Every time he has appeared in court the press have been there. The case has been heavily reported and his picture appears on every occasion in the newspapers."
Urging magistrates to show leniency he said: "Whatever you decide in this case you can't take away from him the fact that it was a heavily involved set of circumstances and that Mr Ashiq did not deserve, invite or expect what happened.
He added: "He has shown extreme remorse for the accident that occurred and he indicated he himself had children of a similar age to Stephanie Hammill and he knows how the family must be feeling."
But magistrate Joan Obbard imposed the penalty after refusing to accept Ashiq's claims that he didn't realise he had run over Stephanie and thought has Toyota Carina had been hit by a bag of rubbish.
The prosecution said Ashiq made vital repairs, changed all the tyres and cleaned the bumper to hide evidence.
Mrs Obbard told Ashiq: "A body is a substantial size. Stephanie Hammill was 5ft 8in tall, wearing minimal clothing and head shoulder-length fair hair.
Struck
"We feel that this was recognisable as a body even at speed with another vehicle with its headlights approaching. It was in a well lit area."
Ashiq, of Conway Road, Wakefield, will also have his licence endorsed after pleading guilty to driving with two defective tyres.
The court heard that Miss Hammill had flagged down a car in the early hours of Saturday morning after a night out in Wakefield city centre with boyfriend James Garland.
She got into the back seat of the car and left the door open for him. But it sped off before he could do so.
Mr Garland, 22, stopped a passing police patrol car and they came across her body near the junction with Wrenthorpe Lane. She had been struck by another vehicle after being pushed or jumping from the car as she desperately fled her abductor.
Ashiq is not under suspicion over the abduction. The hunt for the bogus taxi driver is continuing.
tony.gardner@ypn.co.uk
