JUST DESERTS
FORMER KIRKBY CABBIE JAILED FOR DEALING DRUGS MONTHS AFTER BRUTAL ASSAULT ON CABBIE
A former taxi driver and “persistent offender” with 14 prior convictions for 28 offences, has been jailed for two years after turning to class A drug dealing. Kieran McKechnie, 37, of Kirkby, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after being caught operating in the “Lil T” drugs line to pay off a £1,300 cocaine debt. The case sheds fresh light on McKechnie’s violent criminal history within the taxi trade, including a terrifying and racially motivated attack on an active cab driver. In November 2019, McKechnie was picked up from a pub by Delta taxi driver Mohammed Ammanulah. Tension quickly escalated when McKechnie aggressively ques- tioned the driver about his nationality, demanding to know if he was English and asking, “do you
think I’m an idiot?”. The confrontation turned violent when McKechnie repeat- edly punched Mr Ammanulah while the vehicle was in motion, causing the driver to lose control and hit the accelerator. After the car finally stopped, McKechnie issued a chilling threat, warning the victim: “Let’s talk. You’re in Kirkby, and around here we will shoot you.” Reflecting on the traumatic assault, Mr Ammanulah later stated that his life would “never be the same after the attack.” McKechnie was subsequently jailed for 14 months for the assault and dangerous driving. McKechnie’s own history behind
the wheel was equally chaotic. In 2016, while working as a Delta taxi driver, he took his vehicle on a frantic two-mile pursuit through Kirkdale and Walton, hitting speeds of up to 80mph after discovering his partner was seeing another man. The high-speed rampage ended when he smashed his Vauxhall Astra into a stationary car and fled the scene. In his latest court appearance, the defence argued that McKechnie had been forced into dealing after gang members threatened to burn his mother’s house down. Recorder Mark Bradshaw refused to suspend the prison sentence, telling McKechnie: “The scourge of drug dealing causes misery to families and communities. You have contributed to that by way of your offending.”
HAMILTON MAN JAILED AFTER BRUTAL KNIFE ATTACK ON TAXI DRIVER OVER £6 FARE
A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison following a terrifying assault and robbery of a taxi driver in Hamilton. Robert Mitchell was jailed at the town’s sheriff court on May 8 after admitting to the attack, which was sparked by a dispute over a small upfront fare. The incident took place on Mill Road last August after the driver asked for a £6 payment in advance. Mitchell became “irate” and pulled an eight-inch knife from his pocket, shouting: “I’m going to kill you.” After punching the driver on the head and body and stealing up to
PHTM JUNE 2026 £150 from the car’s console,
Mitchell chased the victim outside the vehicle and struck him on the head with the blade. The driver managed to call the taxi office, saying he’d been hit, and the police were contacted He was later treated in hospital for two head wounds. Sheriff Colin Dunipace condemned the violence, telling Mitchell: “This was an appalling attack on a gentleman trying to go about his work. Taxi drivers are very vulnerable given the nature of their employment and a significant custodial sentence
must be imposed.” While Mitchell’s lawyer described his behavior as “inappropriate,” the court noted his previous record of violent crime. The court also heard a separate case involving 30-year-old Taylor Grey, who admitted to assaulting another taxi driver on the same road just hours later. Grey, who shouted abuse and tried to punch a cabbie during another fare dispute, will be sentenced next month. Mitchell’s prison term was backdated to August to account for time already served in custody.
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