JUST DESERTS
FORMER POWYS NURSE FINED AFTER FAILING TO PAY £30 TAXI FARE
A former nurse, Victoria Foster, 31, was fined by magistrates after she admitted to a charge of making off without paying or a £30 taxi fare. The incident occurred in Mont- gomery on January 8. Prosecutor Helen Tench told the Welshpool Magistrates’ Court that Foster’s card was declined when
she attempted to pay for the journey. According to Tench, Foster “left” despite being told of the declined payment. The cabbie gave her until 6pm the following day to settle the fare, but the deadline was “ignored.” Foster also reportedly “declined” an offer for
an out-of-court settlement. Her solicitor, Gurleen Kaur, stated that Foster had been experiencing a “turbulent” time and suffering with her mental health. Magistrates fined Foster £20, ordered her to pay £30 compen- sation to the taxi company, plus £85 costs and an £8 surcharge.
GANG KIDNAPS TERRIFIED CABBIE IN NEWCASTLE AT GUNPOINT IN TARGETED ATTACK
A gang from Gateshead kidnapped a terrified taxi driver and his passenger at gunpoint after blocking their taxi in the streets of Newcastle. According to a Newcastle Crown Court hearing, the victim, a Syrian refugee, was driving his Suzuki taxi on August 24 of last year when a red Range Rover blocked his vehicle in Jesmond Vale. Prosecutor Emma Dowling stated: “The men in the Range Rover were clearly expecting the men to be there. They had travelled from Chopwell to Jesmond to threaten and intimidate them.” The court heard that one of the assailants, Andrew Wright (centre), was in the driver’s seat with “a realistic firearm” lying “casually” on his lap. The two victims were then taken “against their will” at gunpoint to Gateshead in the taxi. Once in Gateshead, two of the kidnappers, Wright and Simon Walton (left), took the passenger into a flat. The taxi driver, however, was left in the car with another gang member, Scott Haug. The court was told that a police car
42
unexpectedly drove past, startling Haug, who then fled. This gave the taxi driver a chance to escape on foot. Meanwhile, Wright and Walton left the flat with the passenger and returned to Chopwell in the taxi. The car was later found burned out near Winlaton. The taxi driver, who suffered a head injury, reported the incident to police about an hour later. The court heard that he was a “distressed and fearful witness” and later withdrew his support for the prosecution.
The dash cam in the taxi, which the kidnappers initially believed was recording, only captured footage because they had touched it. It showed “how terrified” the victim was and how “close he was to the gun.” The motivation for the crime was
likely financial gain, as Ms. Dowling said: “It does appear they were trying to obtain something from (the second man), probably money.” Wright, 33, of Hamsterley Colliery, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. He pleaded guilty to kidnap, possession of a firearm or imitation firearm, and driving while disqualified. Walton, 34, of Chopwell, received a four-and-a-half-year sentence for kidnap. A third gang member, Joseph Henderson, 28 (right), also of Chopwell, pleaded guilty
to
participating in an organised crime group for his role in driving the Range Rover. He was sentenced to two years in prison. The fourth gang member, Scott Haug, who also pleaded guilty to kidnap, will be sentenced at a later date. During the sentencing, Judge Gavin Doig described the incident as “serious offending. Planned, with weapons, carried out in daylight in the streets of Jesmond and Gateshead.”
OCTOBER 2025 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
