JUST DESERTS


66 MONTHS’ JAIL FOR MAN WHO ROBBED BELFAST CABBIE IN ‘NASTY AND SHOCKING OFFENCE’


A 38-year old man who robbed a taxi driver in east Belfast was handed a five-and-a-half year sentence at Belfast Crown Court on 16 January. On January 21, 2023 a taxi picked up Dean Brown and took him to Connswater Shopping Centre. When the driver asked for payment, Brown grabbed him by his jacket, punched him in the face, threat-ened to stab him, then headbutted him in the mouth.


Before fleeing, Brown stole coins as well as the driver’s work phone and identification card. Police were called and traced the mobile to a property where they located the stolen items. With a criminal record of 54 previous convictions, Brown accepted his guilt to the robbery charge. Judge Mark Reel noted the taxi driver sustained damage to four teeth due to the headbutt, Judge Reel spoke of the vulnerabilities of


small businesses and lone workers such as taxi drivers. He said: “They provide vital services and yet are easy, as this case demonstrates, to rob - and the only protection they have is from the sentences imposed upon people who rob them.” Imposing the sentence, the judge added: “This was a nasty, shocking offence


carried out against a wholly blameless individual simply going about his day’s work.”


DRUNK YOBS WHO THREATENED STUDENT WITH BLADE AND ROBBED CABBIE IN THANET JAILED


Two yobs who went on a violent crime spree in which a cabbie was robbed and a student threatened with a knife have been jailed. Luke Tudor, 36, (left) from Margate, and Kieran Martin, 30, stole alcohol from a shopper’s trolley and then within hours targeted a cabbie. At the time, Martin was on court bail for robbing a schoolboy at knifepoint. Canterbury Crown Court heard that he had accosted the student in a park at night, held a blade to his neck, stole his belongings and ordered the terrified victim to “run for his life”. On March 17, 2022, the thugs had climbed into Burham Sinani’s taxi and demanded he take them “to buy drugs”. The cabbie refused but agreed to


drive them to a


pharmacy as he needed to collect a prescription. Tudor and Martin were argument- ative and drunk and, once at their destination, reluctant to get out. But having done so, Tudor then


PHTM FEBRUARY 2024


headbutted Mr Sinani, causing “a nasty black eye”. Mr Sinani was so scared that he sought refuge in the pharmacy, only for the threats to continue. Employees at the pharmacy said they thought Tudor was ‘going to murder’ the taxi driver.” The thugs left the store and went back to the cab, pulling a door back so hard that it was damaged, and ransacked the vehicle, stealing his day’s earnings. They also continued to threaten Mr Sinani and left the car with its SatNav ripped out. Mr Sinani later told police that it was the third time he had been the


victim of such crime in his six years driving. Martin, from Margate, admitted two offences of robbery, posses- sing a bladed article, theft, affray and criminal damage. Tudor pleaded guilty to robbery, assault causing actual bodily harm, theft and criminal damage. Sentencing Martin and Tudor on 17 January, Judge Simon James said only immediate imprisonment could be justified for the “grat- uitous” robbery of the taxi driver and the “particularly cowardly” attack on the student. Martin, who has previous convictions for assault, battery and criminal damage, was jailed for a total of seven-and-a-half years. Tudor, whose past offending has included burglary, theft, battery and assault, was locked up for two years and nine months, despite a judge acknowledging the adverse impact custody would have on Tudor’s children.


43


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76