..IN THE
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SOLDIER JAILED AFTER VICIOUS ATTACK ON NORTHALLERTON TAXI DRIVER
A soldier who carried out a vicious and unprovoked attack on a taxi driver has been jailed for nine years and nine months. According to the Northern Echo, a 43- year-old taxi driver from Northallerton suffered a critical brain injury and was in a coma for two months following the attack in December 2019. Steffan Rhys Wilson, 26, from Sir Gar, West Wales, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 3 November after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The victim, who was treated at James Cook University Hospital, has been left with debilitating health issues which have greatly impacted his own and his family’s lives. Since he was discharged for gross mis- conduct from his position as a Corporal with the Royal Engineers, Wilson had been set to face a trial for attempted murder. However, his guilty plea to the lesser offence was accepted. Two charges for assaulting police offi- cers will lie on file. The incident occurred at Little Holtby,
near Catterick Vil- lage, when Wilson got in the taxi at around 3am from outside a night- club. When the taxi arrived at Lit- tle Holtby, Wilson carried out the
attack on the driver. The police officers arrived while the attack was ongoing. Wilson immediate- ly stopped and began attacking the officers, a male Sergeant was strangled by Wilson and he punched a female PC. Fearing for their safety, the officers called for emergency assistance and Wilson was detained. As he was being put in the back of the police van, Wilson reportedly said the following to the Sergeant: “You took your time. I was going to kill him (the taxi driver) and I was going to kill you.” A scheduled trial in May had to be post- poned due to Covid-19. DI Matt Wilkinson, of Northallerton CID, said: “During questioning he did not given any credible explanation for his
MOTHER’S FRIGHT AS SHREWSBURY TAXI DRIVES OFF WITH BABIES IN THE BACK
A taxi driver gave a mother a fright when he drove off with her children in the back of his car in Shrewsbury. According to the Shropshire Star, the in- cident happened when the two young- sters - a one-year-old and a baby aged nine weeks - were put in the car, which was driven off before their mother could get in. Police were called and the driver re- turned. Officers believe it was a genuine mistake by the driver and there was no criminal intent behind his driving off. A police spokeswoman said: “We were
DECEMBER 2020
called after a taxi drove off after a woman had put her children in the vehi- cle before she had got into the vehicle herself. “The driver was contacted and had not realised the woman was not in the vehi- cle and immediately returned to the pick-up address. Officers spoke to the driver and it appears it was a genuine mistake, for which the driver apologised profusely for. “Advice was given around ensuring all passengers are in the vehicle before leaving.”
actions, other than to say he was really drunk and didn’t mean any harm. “He did state that he thought he was on a military exercise, but enquiries show there was nothing to suggest that he was suffering from PTSD at the time.” DI Wilkinson added: “Overall, this has been a very tragic and sad case for all concerned. It was aggravated further as it was the taxi driver’s birthday on the day of the attack, and for the defendant who, prior to this case, was regarded as a good soldier who played rugby for the army.”
DRIVER STOLE FROM ALBIES TAXIS
A taxi driver abused his employer's trust by stealing more than £17,000. According to the Norwich Evening News, Chayne Simmons, 35, who was a long-term worker for Albies Taxis in Great Yarmouth, exploited a loophole in the chip and pin system to steal the cash from his employer, Norwich Crown Court heard. Russell Butcher, prosecuting, said Sim- mons had worked for the company on and off for ten years both as a driver and dispatcher. He said that Simmons used various methods to steal the cash over eight months including using the chip and pin system to take fraudulent cashbacks. When challenged, Simmons at first denied the thefts but when shown the records later admitted what he had done and said he wanted to pay the cash back. Simmons, from Gorleston, admitted fraud between April 22 to December 18, last year. Jailing him for 12 months, Judge Katharine Moore said he had abused the trust of his employer. She accepted the fraud was not sophis- ticated but said: "You displayed an amount of ingenuity."
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