60 PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY JUST DESSERTS
ELEVEN YEARS FOR MAN WHO ROBBED MERSEYSIDE CABBIES AT GUNPOINT
A man who robbed five Merseyside taxi driv- ers at gunpoint was given an 11-year jail sentence.
The crime spree hap- pened over a seven-week period in January. Jailing John Muldoon, 26, Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: “These offences crimes of the utmost seriousness. “You are a ruthless indi- vidual. It was a campaign of terror against vulnerable vic-
tims. An aggravating feature was that you put the gun to a victim’s head and he felt the coldness of the barrel.” According to the Liver- pool Echo, Muldoon, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six robberies and six offences of possessing an imitation firearm with intent.
Henry Riding, prosecut- ing, told Liverpool Crown Court that Mul- doon ordered taxis from
different locations with- in Merseyside and asked to be taken to various destinations. When in an isolated spot Muldoon, who was accompanied by another man, then produced a gun, threatened the driver and stole the car. His cousin Stephen Black, 19, admitted his involvement in one of the offences and was sentenced to 21 months behind bars.
FINES FOR TWO CHIPPING NORTON WOMEN FOR ‘JUMPING’ TAXI
Two women have been ordered to pay more than £600 after they tried to dodge a £25 taxi fare. According to the Witney Gazette, Anne Marie Clarke, 22, and Michelle Ford, 22, both of Chip-
ping Norton, admitted ‘jumping’ the taxi to avoid paying the fare. Banbury magistrates fined Clarke £100, ordered her to pay £70 costs, a victim’s sur- charge of £15, and to pay
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compensation to the driv- er of £12.50. Ford will also have to pay £12.50 compensa- tion, and was fined £320, ordered to pay costs of £70, and a vic- tim’s surcharge of £15.
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ATTACKER WHO ROBBED WEST LOTHIAN TAXI DRIVER A thug who robbed a
taxi driver at knife point for just £10 has been jailed.
Liam Hughes had earli- er put the knife at his victim’s throat and demanded to be driven to Deans. The 20 year old then followed the driver after he escaped the taxi and forced him to hand over the money.
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The victim was so shaken by the incident he has retired from driving. Paul Beaton, procurator fiscal depute, told Linlithgow Sheriff Court that the driver had picked up Hughes and a friend and took them to Bath- gate where they went to two cash machines to try and get money for the fare.
The pair then asked to go back to Livingston and some cash exchanged hands at this point but the pair again changed their minds about their des- tination.
By the time they had reached Carnegie Road the fare had reached £15 and the driver stopped the car. “The victim was suc- cessful in pressing the emergency button to alert his office. The driv- er then left the taxi but was followed by Hugh- es who presented the knife to him. “He demanded money from him and he gave him £10 from his pocket. But Hughes was caught after his fellow passenger left a set of keys and an ID card with his details in the back of the taxi. The West Lothian Couri- er reports that at Linlithgow Sheriff Court Hughes, who was described as a prisoner of Saughton Prison, pled guilty to the offences.
His solicitor, Glenn Fraser, said the rob- bery was fairly odd as it was not motivated by greed and Hughes had demanded the money from the taxi
driver as he felt he had overpaid him. Mr Fraser added: “My client has a drink prob- lem and does not have a full recollection of the offence. It was not a ran- dom request for money. He was very specific that it was £10 he want- ed back. This would not make sense if it was a pre-planned robbery.” Mr Fraser added: “He appreciates the dis- tress he has put the complainer and his family through and is regretful of that. “But Sheriff Grahame Fleming jailed Hughes for 15 months and said: “In my opinion no sen- tence other than detention is appropriate given regard to the nature of the offence and your previous convic- tions. “Taxi drivers are particu- larly vulnerable to that sort of conduct espe- cially in the early hours of the morning and I think we need to protect them.”
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