JUST


PAIR LOCKED UP FOR ROBBING HALIFAX DRIVER


A teenager locked up for a knifepoint car- jacking when he was just 16 is back in cus- tody after robbing a Halifax cabbie.


Matthew Sheils, now 19, carried out his latest attack just six months after being released from a four-year custo- dial sentence for robbing a lone female driver in March 2008. Bradford Crown Court heard how taxi driver Maqbool Ahmad had picked up Sheils and Andrew Roberts in the early hours of New Year’s Eve. He was attacked by the pair in the Charlestown Road area.


Prosecutor John Topham said the cab- bie was grabbed from behind by rear-seat passenger Roberts and told to hand over his money.


According to the Hali- fax Courier, Sheils, who was in the front seat, went through Mr Ahmad’s pockets and took about £70 and a mobile phone.


Roberts then threat- ened to kill the cabbie if he told the police. The pair demanded the cabbie get out of the car before Sheils drove it away.


A police helicopter and a number of police cars were scrambled and


the taxi was eventually boxed in.


Sheils was sentenced to three and a half years in a young offenders’ institution after he was convicted of involve- ment in the robbery. He had earlier admit- ted aggravated vehicle taking and driving with excess alcohol and was banned from driv- ing for two years. Roberts, also 19, from Halifax, admitted his part in the robbery and the aggravated vehicle taking offence.


He was sentenced to two years in a young offenders’ institution and banned from driv- ing for two years.


MAN JAILED FOR ASSAULT ON BARROW DRIVER, 70


A drunk passenger who throttled a terri- fied 70-year-old taxi driver and threatened to kill her has been jailed. Well known animal lover Pat Denny feared she would die as she tried in vain to pull Barry Joel’s hands from around her throat.


Joel was jailed by Fur- ness magistrates for 28 days after he admit- ted assault by beating on August 15.


Prosecutor Mrs Lisa Hine said: “Pat Denny was a taxi driver aged 70 years, and for the last 12 months has worked for Acacia taxis.


“At 12.50am that morn- ing she went to Bewley Steps in Barrow to pick up a fare. The defen- dant got in behind her with a woman and said they wanted to go to Abbey Road.


“As they were driving along Park Drive the defendant became verbally abusive,


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swearing and saying he would kill her.” According to the North West Evening Mail, the court heard the defen- dant called her abusive names, claimed she had taken the long route round and was ripping him off.


Mrs Hine said: “Three quarters of the way along Park Drive she stopped the taxi and asked them to leave the car. At this point he grabbed her around the throat. She could- n’t speak because she was choking and thought she was going to pass out. She remembered she had a pair of nail scissors in the glove box but she couldn’t reach. She would have used them to try and loosen his hands as she feared for her life. “He suddenly stopped and got out. As he walked away she shouted ‘you are a rav- ing lunatic and you want locking up.’


“The defendant then started running back towards the car shout- ing that he was going to kill her so she start- ed reversing and he left. The victim was left with a very sore neck and cuts to her ear where his nails had gone in.”


In police interview, Joel, 55, from Barrow, initially denied being drunk or assaulting the taxi driver but later admitted the offence. Defence solicitor Mr Graham Jackson said his client was disgust- ed by his behaviour. He said Joel had not realised it was an eld- erly woman driving and had lost his tem- per because he was very drunk.


Sentencing him, pre- siding magistrate Mr John Falvey said the offence was so seri- ous that custody was the only option.


Joel was also ordered to pay Ms Denny £700 in compensation and £275 in lost earnings.


A taxi fare dodger from Crewkerne has been made to pay his dues. According to the Chard and Illminster News, Jack Down, 21, from Martock, pleaded guilty at South Somerset Mag- istrates’ Court to the charge that on Monday, August 29, in Tatworth, he made off without making payment of a taxi fare for £8.70. Down was picked up at The Kings Head in Chard and was being driven to a friend’s home in Tatworth.


In his police interview Down said he did not usually drink as he works with a potential- ly dangerous machine and he agreed his behaviour was affect- ed by drink.


Down did not think he had enough money to pay the taxi. He caused the taxi to stop 15 min- utes away from his destination in Tatworth and after he fled before paying, driver Ian Dodd saw him hopping over fences. Police caught up with Down


...


HIGH PRICE OF DOING A ‘RUNNER’ IN SOUTH SOMERSET


after sending tracker dogs to the area. Magistrates ordered him to pay a fine of £240, court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £15 - and the taxi driver the £8.70 fare. The journey cost Down a total of £348.70. Mmm...The price is get- ting ever higher for doing runners - you’d think they’d get the message. Meanwhile how often do the police send tracker dogs after a someone who’s done a runner? - Ed.


TEENAGER TO PAY CASH FOR ATTACK ON HUDDERSFIELD CABBIE


A judge has ordered a teenager to pay £2,000 compensation to a Huddersfield taxi driver who was punched in the face. Cabbie Zana Mahmud was hit by 18-year-old Callum Edwards and suffered a broken cheekbone and a frac- tured elbow, as he fell to the floor.


The blow came after an argument broke out between the driver and his three male passengers.


But Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC spared Edwards from jail after hearing how he had reacted to a spell behind bars on remand. The Judge said taxi drivers deserved bet- ter than being “bashed”. He said he probably should lock up Edwards for about 12 months, but he had taken account of the three months he had spent on remand and the good things he had done in custody such as helping peo- ple on suicide watch. “Clearly when you are sober you are a very diligent young man,” said the Judge.


“Much against my better judgement, and I make that clear, logic suggests that there is an alternative in this case that might just work and if it doesn’t I will see you again and I can lock you up.”


Prosecutor John Bull told Bradford Crown Court how the taxi had been booked to take the trio to the Walpole Road area of Hudders- field on March 7, but after stopping at a shop on the way the men asked to be dropped off some- where else.


When Mr Mahmud refused he was sub- jected to threats by the men and Mr Bull said the cabbie was so dis- tressed that he got out of his vehicle. Edwards also got out and when he approached Mr Mahmud he punched him once in the face with a clenched list. Mr Mahmud fell to the ground and the men ran off as the cabbie called out for help. As a result of the blow and the fall Mr Mah- mud suffered a broken left cheekbone and a


fractured left elbow. Edwards, who had previous convictions as a juvenile, was arrested in May. At an earlier hearing Edwards admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm and his barrister Adam Birkby said the teen- ager had expressed huge remorse and regret.


He said the extent of the taxi driver’s injuries was unexpected and his client wanted to apologise publicly to his victim. The court heard that Edwards’ partner is expecting a child in January and he had a full-time job as a bricklayer.


The Judge told Edwards that his 12- month custodial sen- tence was being sus- pended for two years, but he would also be supervised for 24 months and have to do 180 hours’ unpaid work for the community. Edwards will also be subject to a 9pm to 6am curfew each night for the next four months and must pay Mr Mahmud £2,000 in compensation.


PHTM NOVEMBER 2011


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