JUST DESERTS


MAN JAILED FOR 22 MONTHS FOR ATTEMPTED AMBULANCE THEFT & RAMMING ABERDEEN CABBIE


A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 months in prison for a series of offences, including using his vehicle as a weapon by chasing and ramming a taxi. Jason Grant appeared before Aberdeen Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to attempting to steal an ambulance, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance. He also admitted a campaign of domestic abuse towards his ex-partner. The incident began on January 27 when Grant was caught trying to take an ambulance from Aber- deen Royal Infirmary. Paramedics intervened, finding Grant behind the wheel. When challenged,


Grant got out and walked into the hospital where he was lost to view. A few hours later, a taxi driver picked up a passenger who was arguing with Grant, who was driving another vehicle. As the taxi drove off, Grant used his vehicle to strike the taxi from behind. The taxi driver turned right into another street but was quickly rammed again, then once more as it approached a roundabout. Finally, Grant drove off and the taxi driver was able to drive to Nelson Street police station. The vehicle Grant had been driving was traced and checks revealed it did not belong to Grant and that he was banned from driving for 10


years in 2018. Defence agent Tony


Burgess


explained the taxi incident, related to “bad blood” between his client and the passenger and that “the red mist came down”. Addressing the domestic offence, Mr Burgess said: “He went off the rails in terms of how he dealt with the break-up, not least because she was pregnant.” Sheriff Findlater described Grant’s actions as “reckless and danger- ous” and jailed Grant for 22 months backdated to March 4 when he was first remanded. The judge also imposed a ten-year driving ban, and a five-year non-harassment order for his ex-partner.


WALLSEND MAN JAILED FOR TEN YEARS AFTER KNIFEPOINT ROBBERY OF PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER


A Wallsend man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a terrifying knifepoint robbery on a private hire driver. The incident occurred in Decem- ber 2021 when the victim was driving in the Wallsend area. Two passengers, Robert Wardle and another man, boarded the taxi around 12.40am and asked to be taken to a nearby cashpoint. Once at the cashpoint, Wardle exited the vehicle. Newcastle Crown Court heard the other man asked the cabbie to pull into a side street, saying he didn’t want the police to see him and that he had been released from prison following a 12-year sentence for armed robbery. Wardle also


38


said he was wanted by the police.They asked to go back to the pick-up point and on arrival the second man pulled out a knife, reached around the driver’s seat and held the blade to his throat. The victim tried to grab the knife before getting out of the car and running away. The robbers chased after him but then went back to the taxi and drove it away. The car was later found a few streets away but they had stolen his wallet, containing £600 and bank cards, his dashcam, house keys and keys to another


vehicle. The court heard that the robbery has had a profound impact on the taxi driver, who now feels unsafe working at night and has suffered significant financial losses due to no longer working nights. Wardle, 32, from Wallsend, who has 34 previous convictions, was convicted of robbery after a trial earlier this year. While the jury were


out, he


absconded from court and was on the run for two months and ten days. He was also found guilty of absconding from court. Judge Amanda Rippon sentenced Wardle to a total of 10 years and 10 weeks in prison, with an extended licence period of two years.


OCTOBER 2024 PHTM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76