JUST DESSERTS
FINE FOR NEWQUAY FARE-DODGER CAUGHT AFTER LOSING HIS SHOE
Police dog Buzz’s smart nose led officers to an abandoned trainer while they were search- ing for a man who had made off without paying for a taxi journey. When they saw the man shortly after, he was hopping because his missing shoe was the one the dog had found.
The Cornish Guardian reports that at Truro
Magistrates’ Court Mitchell Harrison, 21, pleaded guilty to mak- ing off without paying a fare of £17.70. Alison May, for the prosecution, said Har- rison and another man had commissioned the taxi in Newquay to go to Goonhavern, but on the way the other man seemed to be ill and got out.
Harrison followed him
and then the two made off over a hedge. When they were caught, the other man paid up and was cau- tioned for his part in the incident by the police.
A barman at Perran Sands Holiday Camp, he was very embar- rassed about the case. He was fined £140 with £100 in costs and a surcharge.
DUO ROBBED HEMEL HEMPSTEAD POSTMAN AND TAXI DRIVER
Two drunken robbers who attacked a post- man and a taxi driver so they could get money to buy more booze have been jailed. According to the Berkhampsted and Tring Gazette, Kenny Workman, 27, was sentenced to four years behind bars and Vincent Jenkins, 28, was jailed for three years and six months. The pair had been out
for the night when they came across a post- man at around 6am in Hemel Hempstead. He was attacked and robbed of his wallet, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Shortly afterwards they were in Wheat- field in the town when they came across taxi driver Anthony Clarke. He was punched by Workman and his Blackberry mobile
phone, cash box and its contents were taken. After robbing the men they waited in Hemel Hempstead for shops to open so they could buy more alco- hol. They also tried to sell the Blackberry to get more money. Workman and Jenk- ins, both from Hemel Hempstead, were con- victed of two counts of robbery, committed on March 16 last year.
KNIFEMAN JAILED OVER STABBING OF A LEEDS CAB DRIVER
A passenger who stabbed a cab driver in the neck causing life- threatening injuries because he wanted him to share his unhappiness has been locked up for public protection after a judge described him as dangerous. Paul Wadkin had chat- ted normally with his victim Tauseef Ahmed Rashid before the sud- den attack and even showed him some crack cocaine asking if he would like some, Heather Gilmore, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court last month.
When the offer was rejected Wadkin got the driver to take him to an area in Middle-
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ton, Leeds, and when the vehicle stopped he got out but instead of paying he produced a large kitchen knife, using it to stab him in the neck.
The knife cut into his trachea and caused an injury that led to one of his lungs collapsing. His victim managed to drive a short distance before realising he was bleeding heavily, summoning help over his radio. The Yorkshire Post reports that Wadkin, 28, who admitted wounding Mr Rashid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was given an indeter- minate jail sentence for public protection. Ordering him to serve
a minimum of four years, Judge Scott Wolstenholme said: “This was senseless, unpredictable violence springing from your own demons.”
The judge warned Wadkin he would only be released after the Parole Board was sat- isfied he was no longer a danger to the public.
Mr Rashid spent 12 days in hospital after suffering an infection and complications. The court heard he still suffers flashbacks and nightmares and said it had been a “terrifying experience”. He has given up being a taxi driver and is fearful of going about his daily life.
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BRADFORD DRIVER RACIAL ATTACK
A 48-year-old man has to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work after admitting racially aggravated assault on a Bradford cab driver. According to the Tele- graph and Argus, Vincent Carroll, from Bradford, who also pleaded guilty to racially aggravated
harassment and two counts of criminal damage, swore at and then punched the driv- er, Magistrates in Bingley were told. The assault occurred after Carroll got into the taxi outside the Prince of Wales pub In Harrogate Road around 11.30pm with
two others.
Carroll tried to resist arrest and kicked the door of a police car, damaging an interior panel.
Carroll was also sen- tenced to a 12-month supervision order and told to pay a total of £435 in costs, damages and compensation.
FOUR YEARS FOR CARJACKING AND ROBBING LONDON DRIVER
A minicab driver was robbed of his vehicle at knifepoint by one of his fares in Can- ning Town - but not before he was at- tacked and asked for his cash.
The Newham Reporter reports that the driver picked up a woman and five men in the City in the early hours of October 24.
He drove to Canning Town and having dropped off the woman he continued the jour- ney with the men to
Plymouth Road.
There, the Old Bailey heard, one of the men got out of the vehicle and threatened the driver with a knife, asking him: “How much money have you got?”
The driver was told to get out the vehicle before all the men then attacked him, pushing and kicking him to the ground. The five men drove off in his minicab. The badly damaged cab was recovered a few
hours later by police. During a search of the vehicle, officers dis- covered a provisional driving licence belong- ing to Gary Living. Living, 21, from Can- ning Town, later handed himself into police.
Despite his denials he was convicted of rob- bery and jailed for four years.
Det Insp Andrew Mur- phy said the result was excellent, for the vic- tim and the robbery squad at Newham.
CREWE TEENAGER STOLE TAXI SENT TO PICK HIM UP AND CRASHED IT
A teenage drunk who wrote off a stolen mini- bus after an afternoon drinking session re- ceived a suspended jail sentence.
According to the Crewe Chronicle, Chester Crown Court heard that Thomas Hill, aged 18, from Nantwich, was more than twice the legal limit when he was arrested. He had been drinking with work col- leagues last De- cember and had start- ed to walk home but then knocked on someone’s door to ask them to call a taxi for him.
Prosecuting, Laura Nash said: “He left and walked down the
drive towards the taxi, which then drove away. The household- er saw a man running after it.”
Hill had jumped into the cab and drove away after the taxi driver got out to look for his passenger. Shortly afterwards, the taxi was found on its side in a field and wit- nesses, who des- cribed Hill as being drunk, had to pull him from the vehicle through one of the windows.
He claimed he was the passenger and that the driver had run off but police checks con- firmed the taxi had been reported stolen. The taxi company said
they had lost £30,000 in revenue because of the incident.
Judge Roger Dutton said: “He could have killed himself - and he could have killed someone else. You have escaped prison by the skin of your teeth.”
Hill received an eight- month sentence for aggravated vehicle taking, suspended for two years, plus a con- current three-month sentence and an 18- month driving ban for driving with excess alcohol.
He must also carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a £3,000 contribution to the taxi company.
PHTM AUGUST 2011
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