JUST DESERTS
FIVE YEARS’ JAIL FOR BELFAST MAN EXTRADITED FROM THAILAND FOR BITING OFF BELFAST CABBIE’S EAR
A thug who bit off part of a taxi driver’s ear has been handed a five-year sentence. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Jonathan Turley had been extradited back to Northern Ireland from Thailand to face charges over the attack eight years ago. The 40-year-old must serve half his sentence in jail and the rest under supervised licence conditions. Once considered one of the most dan- gerous criminals in Northern Ireland, Turley had already pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm. Things turned nasty when the cabbie, suspecting the man he’d just picked up
at an address in Belfast wasn’t the person who had made the booking, asked Turley the name the taxi had been ordered under. Not happy with his response, Turley was asked to get out. The judge then explained what hap- pened next: “At this stage the male said how about I throw you out of the car and he punched the driver with a closed fist, connecting with his jaw and punching him several times more, he
leaned forward and bit his right ear, detaching part of it,’’ he said. The injured driver had to undergo specialised plastic surgery but a partial DNA hit later led detectives to Turley. Turley, from Belfast, is no stranger to the courts. He was at one stage a category three dangerous offender and has previously served time for a frenzied knife attack. As Judge Rafferty began to announce the five-year sentence Turley, who appeared by video-link from prison, became visibly agitated. The judge noted he would get a release date in the coming days.
COMMUNITY ORDER FOR COWES MAN WHO THREATENED CABBIE WITH A 6-INCH KITCHEN KNIFE
A 25-year-old Cowes man threatened a taxi driver with a 6-inch kitchen knife after refusing to pay his fare. The Island Echo reports that Billy Haylor was sentenced at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Friday 10 June, after Magistrates decided that the matter was too serious for them to deal with.
The courts previously heard that Haylor approached a taxi in Newport in April and asked to go to Cowes Medical Centre. The fare was agreed and during the journey, the intoxicat- ed 25-year-old fell asleep. Arriving in Cowes, the taxi driver roused Haylor who proceeded to fumble to make
FINE FOR FALKIRK MOTORIST WHO HAD TYRE WRENCH AND KICKED TAXI
A parking row got out of hand after a cab driver supposedly spat on a motorist for parking in a taxi rank. The Falkirk Herald reports that Robert Cupples, 48, then retrieved a tyre wrench from his car and proceeded to threaten the taxi driver with it before kicking out and striking the wing mirror of his taxi.
Cupples appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, 16 June, having pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon – a tyre wrench – and recklessly
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damaging property at Falkirk High Rail- way Station on May 22 last year. The court heard the taxi driver had allegedly spat in Cupples’ face and this is what prompted him to go and get the tyre wrench. Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “Whether you were provoked or not, you shouldn’t have had a tyre wrench out anyway – even if you were spat on, you shouldn’t have kicked the wing mirror.” He fined Cupples £420 to be paid at a rate of £15 per week.
payment before then vomiting over the back seats. The driver made clear that a soiling charge would have to be paid but a small argument ensued, to which Haylor then said ‘f**k it’ and ran off. The driver followed Haylor to a nearby address. Whilst on the phone to police, Haylor made threats to kill the cabbie before then coming out of his home with a large kitchen knife. The taxi driver was advised to get back into his vehicle by Police. Haylor shouted: “I’m going to cut you up. I’ll find your family and cut them up too”. The incident landed Billy Haylor in court on two charges of making off without payment, one of which involved threatening an individual with a knife. He pleaded guilty to both charges on 6 May. At Crown Court Haylor received a 12-month community order with ten rehabilitation days and 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £425 costs and £80 compensation.
JULY 2022
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