IN THE
NEWS...IN THE NEWS..
CARDIFF DRIVER THREATENED TO ‘SLICE’ BAILIFF WHO CLAMPED HIS CAR BEFORE BRINGING OUT KITCHEN KNIFE
A taxi driver threatened to “slice” a court bailiff who clamped his car before producing a knife, a court has heard. WalesOnline reports that Mohammed Ali, 44, became “aggressive” towards bailiff Lee Johnson and started to kick and bang on his van during the incident at his home in St Mellons, Cardiff, on October 23, 2019. On 6 November Cardiff Crown Court heard how Mr Johnson had knocked on the taxi driver’s door and shouted through his letterbox before Ali appeared “extremely irate”. Nigel Fryer, prosecuting, said the bailiff returned to his van and Ali shouted words to the effect of “I am going to slice you or stab you”.
Ali then went into his house and returned with a six inch kitchen knife and proceeded to “bang and punch” the van before the police were called. The incident was caught in footage from Mr Johnson’s body-worn camera but it was noted there was no indica- tion Ali intended to harm the bailiff with the knife. During the hearing, it was heard Ali had ignored court letters about an unpaid magistrates’ court fine of just over £700, causing bailiffs to attend. Recorder Simon Mills described the incident as short-lived but said Ali lost his temper due to fear of losing the taxi - either because it represented his livelihood or because the vehicle did not belong to him.
Ahead of the hearing, Ali pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and using threatening behaviour under section four of the public order act. Sentencing, the recorder said Ali’s taxi licence will now be reviewed by the licensing authority. He said: “It would be my hope that the taxi licensing authority sees this as a serious incident but an isolated inci- dent and that there is no suggestion you have ever harmed a passenger or done anything improper and indecent within your duties as a taxi driver.” Ali was handed a seven month sen- tence, suspended for 18 months as well as 120 hours of unpaid community work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity.
TEENS IN KNIFEPOINT ROBBERIES ON FIVE ‘TERRIFIED’ TAXI DRIVERS IN BIRMINGHAM
Two Birmingham teenagers have been sentenced for knifepoint robberies after five taxi drivers were ‘deliberately targeted’. BirminghamLive reports that the youths, both aged 17, used the “ruse” of booking cab trips to carry out a series of robberies in the Newtown and Lozells areas of the city. The pair, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to their age, struck between September 2019 and January 2020 “to deliberately targeted taxi drivers.” One teenager - aged just 16 at the time - admitted four robberies, one attempt- ed robbery and the attempted theft on a person. A large knife was held to the stomach of one cabbie and cash was taken in Uxbridge Street, Newtown, at 4pm on December 20, Birmingham Crown Court was told. The driver was left “terrified
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and thought he was going to die.” His Mercedes was also taken, but the rob- bers crashed it into another car. Blades were left in the footwelll of the vehicle. Two other drivers were also targeted by the same teen at 6.15pm on New Year's Day. The youth sat in the front passenger seat and held a blade to one driver's stomach. Another knife was also placed to his throat by an unknown occupant of the taxi. Up to £60 in notes and £40 in coins was taken. Just ten minutes later another taxi was called using the same “planning and procedure,” the hearing was told. The victim was grabbed, hit over the head and later suffered a 1cm stab wound to his arm. The driver “thought he was going to be killed,” the prosecutor said. The boy, who was picked out at a West Midlands Police ID parade, has now been jailed for four years. Addressing the defendant who stood in
the dock, Judge Dean Kershaw said: “These offences are simply too serious. They are knifepoint robberies and must be subject to a term of imprisonment. Blades were produced and harm was caused to one victim.” Another youth admitted two counts of robbery over two days, which did not involve blades, at the start of the year. Both defendants were part of a group of four lads to get into a taxi before the driver was robbed just before 11pm on January 6. While a different driver was struck by a metal bar and robbed of cash 12 hours later on January 7. This defendant was handed a 12-month youth rehabilitation order. Judge Kershaw added: “If you breach the order you will be brought back to court and may face a period of impris- onment.” The youth is alo on a four-month cur- few, which will run from 8pm to 7am.
DECEMBER 2020
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