JUST DESSERTS
SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR STAMPING ON OXFORD CABBIE
A thug who battered a taxi driver has been given a suspend- ed prison sentence. The Oxford Mail reports that Martell Webster-Baidoe punched the Oxford driver then dragged him from his cab and stamped on his head between five and six times in the attack on May 19 last year. Just two days after the brutal attack, the 20-year-old was given a community order for robbery. He was remanded into custody in early December after fail- ing to turn up at Oxford Crown Court for his sentencing hearing. On Friday,
10 December Judge Michael Gledhill QC
sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years. Webster-Baidoe, of Little Bury, Oxford, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing actual bodily harm. He must complete alcohol treatment and mental health treatment programmes and the thinking skills course.
CONDITIONAL DISCHARGE FOR DERBY WOMAN
Clare Anderson, 38, from Derby, was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £25 compen- sation, £85 costs and a £22 victim surcharge for dishonestly making off having failed to pay for a £25 taxi fare in Shannon Square, Derby, on April 27, 2021.
INVERNESS WOMAN FINED FOR DODGING FARE
A cabbie on an early morning run was duped out of his £18.50 fare by a passenger who told him she would pay him at her destination. But Lynda Love, 21, from Inverness, failed to return to pay the driver when she was dropped off in Hazel Avenue on September 6, 2020. Love admitted fraud at Inverness Sheriff Court. She was fined £300 and ordered to pay the cabbie £18.50 compensation.
RACIST THUG WHO HURLED ABUSE AT FALKIRK TAXI DRIVER BECAUSE HE “WAS NOT WHITE” SPARED JAIL
A racist taxi passenger who got angry that the driver of the cab “was not white” has been spared jail. Craig Bell, 51, asked the driver his name and then “became very abusive” to him as the 30-year-old cabbie was bringing Bell and a woman passenger back to Falkirk from Glasgow. The Daily Record reports that prosecu- tor Robbie McDougall said: “He seems to have become angry at the fact that the driver was not white and asked him what kind of name that was.” On arrival at their destination in Glyn- wed Court, Falkirk,
Bell “exited and
opened the driver’s door”. The driver asked Bell what he was doing and shut the door, which, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told, just seemed to make Bell angrier. Bell head-butted the taxi window before walking off into the common close at Glynwed Court shouting, “f****** P*** b******” -- leaving the female passenger to apologise to the taxi driver.
JANUARY 2022
The incident happened around 3.00 am on September 17th 2021. Less than three weeks later, about 7.30pm on October 5th, Bell and his then partner Sarah Toner, 38, got into a taxi at a rank in Falkirk Town Centre, which turned out to be the same driver.
Mr McDougall said: “On observing the accused, the driver requested that he didn’t speak, due to the previous encounter.” On arrival at Glynwed Court, Bell got out while Miss Toner paid the taximan, but Bell began to shout, “What the f*** is happening?” and banged on the win- dow. Bell was warned to stay calm, but once inside the bock of flats he began shout- ing and swearing, “F****** P*** b******, I hate P****, they shouldn’t be in this country”. He was asked to stop but refused, and Miss Toner then started to record him on her mobile phone. Miss Toner repeatedly asked him to
stop, which he refused to do, and she then asked him to leave. Over the next few days he “constantly” messaged her, as well as phoning her landline, and eventually the police were contacted and Bell was arrested. Bell, who is unemployed, of Paterson Tower, Falkirk, pleaded guilty to using racially and domestically aggravated threatening and abusive behaviour. Sheriff Alison Michie sentenced Bell to carry out 170 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £400 compensa- tion to the cabbie - who wasn’t named in court. He was also placed under social work supervision for two years, ordered to attend a domestic harm reduction course, and made subject to a non harassment order not to approach or contact Miss Toner, also for a period of two years.
Sheriff Michie told him: “You have a fairly significant record. You should be clear - this is an alternative to a custo- dial sentence.
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