JUST DESERTS
SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR DRUNK MAN WHO ATTACKED CABBIE IN BARRY RAMPAGE
A Barry man has avoided jail after launching a drunken attack on a taxi driver who refused him entry to his vehicle as he already had a customer. Joseph Gurd, 25, rained blows down on the cabbie in Broad Street last March after being turned away. The assault was so violent the driver suffered a cut lip. Shocking footage filmed on the passenger’s mobile phone
captured the moment Gurd then turned his aggression on a bystander who intervened. Charlie Newman was left with a dislocated collarbone and was forced to take time off work. At the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, on July 29, 2024, Judge Recorder Owen Casey told Gurd: “Instead of walking away you decided to reach into the taxi and punch the taxi driver. He was in a
vulnerable position at the time as he was sitting down.” Judge Casey described the attack as “completely fuelled by alcohol” and sentenced the 25-year-old to
14 months
suspended for 18 months for two counts of assault occasion- ing actual bodily harm and one count of battery. He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and fined £500.
EX SOLDIER JAILED FOR 12 MONTHS FOR BRUTAL HULL TAXI DRIVER ATTACK
A former soldier has been sentenced to one year in prison for a vicious assault on a taxi driver. Leon Shakespeare, 35, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage, and possession of cocaine. The attack, which occurred on April 17, was described as “shameful” and “unprovoked.” The court heard that Shakespeare had been drinking vodka before boarding the taxi going from Beverley to Hull city centre.
He became aggressive and began punching and kicking the driver, telling him: “I don’t want to do this but you have made me.” The driver tried to get away but Shakespeare pushed him to the ground.
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The man managed to get back to his taxi but he was knocked to the ground again. Shakes- peare climbed on top of the driver and punched him in his face, causing a cut to his head. Shakespeare threw him into a garage door and hit him again in the face. The driver told his taxi office what had happened and the police were alerted. Dents had been caused to the taxi. The driver suffered a cut to his forehead, a swollen lip and pain
and soreness to his head. Recorder Dafydd Enoch KC condemned Shakespeare’s actions, stating, “For absolutely no reason at all, you decided that you were going to beat a man badly where all he was trying to do was be your taxi driver.” Shakespeare had convictions for 19 previous offences, including inflicting grievous bodily harm in 2012 and racially aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm in 2018, when he was jailed for 26 weeks. He had convictions for assaults in 2011, 2012 and 2016 and for criminal damage in 2019. Despite mitigation efforts, the court determined that a custodial sentence necessary to violence.
was deter future SEPTEMBER 2024 PHTM
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