JUST DESERTS
COMMUNITY ORDER FOR KIRKALDY CREEP WHO STROKED TAXI DRIVER’S HAIR AND KISSED HER HEAD
A Kirkcaldy man stroked a taxi driver’s hair and pulled her towards him to kiss her on the forehead after paying his fare. According to The Courier, Linas Karjus, 44, left the vehicle without saying a word following the attack in Kirkcaldy’s Alexandra Street in October 2020. At the town’s sheriff court, Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson said the taxi had been dispatched to an address in the town’s Overton Mains and Karjus got into the vehicle. The fiscal depute said: “The witness (driver) could smell alcohol from the accused, who appeared to be under the influence. The journey took place and the accused paid the fare. Howev- er, when he was handing over money he put his right arm behind the
witness’s head and stroked her hair. “She froze at this and was in shock and felt scared and intimidated.
“He then pulled the witness towards him and kissed her on the forehead. “She advised she could not move and the accused left without saying a word.” Karjus, from Kirkcaldy, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman while she acted in the course of her employ- ment, on June 16 before the case went to trial. Defence lawyer Kieran Clegg said his
client had been at a friend’s house drinking alcohol that day and having taken a taxi, in a “moment of stupidity and loss of inhibition” made a decision to act in that way. The solicitor said Karjus had mentioned “cultural norms” but fully accepts his behaviour caused distress to his victim. However, Mr Clegg also revealed his client still has difficulty realising how his actions were sexually motivated. Sheriff Ian Anderson sentenced Karjus to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. The sheriff told him: “This must have been a frightening experience for the taxi driver.”
NINE YEARS’ JAIL FOR SOUTH SHIELDS ROBBER WHO HELD KNIFE TO CABBIE AND THREATENED TO KILL HIM
A taxi passenger held a knife to a driver’s neck and threatened to kill him if he refused to hand over cash. ChronicleLive reports that the cabbie was left with a small cut to his throat during a terrifying ordeal as he pleaded for Marc Brunton to leave him alone. Brunton got away with a coin bag but has left the cabbie with flashbacks, anxiety and always feeling “on high alert and unsafe”. Now Brunton has been branded a danger to the public as he was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court. The victim picked up Brunton from Hebburn Metro station, in South Tyneside and took him to South Shields last December. Brunton said he had to leave the car and get cash at the destination, while the driver waited outside. Prosecutor Andrew Walker told the court: “The defendant then returned a few minutes later, this time with a hood
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up and proba- bly having armed himself with a knife, if he hadn’t already had it on him from the earlier part of the journey. “The defendant went to the rear of the taxi, initially claiming he had dropped some cash in the back, pretending to look for it. Thereafter, things took a dif- ferent turn. “The defendant held out the knife to the throat of the complainant and started demanding he hand over his coin bag containing his takings from that night. “The complainant pleaded with the defendant to leave him alone but the defendant persisted, threatened to kill him and put the knife to his neck and said he would cut his throat, he swore
on his children’s lives he would cut his throat.” The court heard the victim, who repeatedly said “please, no” during the one minute and 20 second attack, was asked if he wanted to see his family again. Mr Walker added: “He was in fear for his life and said ‘are you going to kill me because of the money’ and the defendant replied ‘yes.’” Brunton, 31, from South Shields, who has previous convictions for robbery and violence, admitted robbery and having a bladed article. Judge Robert Spragg sentenced him to nine years behind bars with a five-year extended licence period. The judge told him: “There is a signifi- cant risk of you committing further specified offences and a significant risk of you causing serious harm. “You held a knife to a man’s throat and threatened to kill him.”
AUGUST 2022
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