Swansea cabbie robbed by passenger with screwdriver |
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| A passenger has threatened a taxi driver in Swansea with a screwdriver before making off with his takings.
The driver collected the man, thought to be in his mid-20s, at Eiddwen Road and dropped him off at Milford Way in Penplas in the early hours. As he left the vehicle the suspect opened the driver’s door, produced the tool and threatened the victim. Police said the 63-year-old driver was uninjured but badly shaken, and have appealed for information. Officers said the passenger was picked up shortly before 0150 GMT in a white Skoda Octavia taxi. After being threatened the driver handed over his black money bag which contained a quantity of cash together and a black Samsung mobile phone. The suspect then made off in the direction of Glenside Road. He was described as a white male, about 25 years of age and about 5ft 7in to 5ft 8in. He was of slight to medium build and was wearing a light coloured woollen jacket, a multi-coloured bobble hat with ear muffs, a dark scarf which covered the lower part of his face, and light-coloured training shoes. Det Sgt Nicola Richards said “This was a totally unprovoked attack on a taxi driver going about his normal business and fortunately he was unharmed. “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information as to the identity of the suspect, to come forward.”
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8452409.stm |
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Leeds “taxi” boss who had weapon put to his neck by raiders offers reward
Source; http://www.garforthtoday.co.uk/39/Leeds-taxi-boss-who-had.5912924.jp
A “taxi” firm boss had a gun pointed at his neck in a terrifying armed robbery.
Andrew Newdall has now put up a £1,000 reward over the attack, the second on him in just over a year.
Mr Newdall, who owns private hire firm Premier Cars, had just left their offices in Moortown, Leeds, at about 7.45pm on Friday when the robbers struck .
He said: “I went to my car and two men ran round. One of them asked me for the bag I was carrying.”
Mr Newdall refused, but then one of the suspects – who both wore ski masks and were in black – threatened him with a handgun.
“He pushed it into my neck and said ‘Don’t mess me about’,” said Mr Newdall, 41.
He handed over the bag, which contained cash, and the pair fled, running through gardens towards nearby by Bentcliffe Lane where they are thought to have left the area in a vehicle
Mr Newdall, of Alwoodley, said it was a frightening ordeal.
“I was very upset at the time and I have been a bit angry,” he said.
“It is the second time it has happened in 14 months. I had one in October last year when I got hit by a crowbar on my knee.
“I am self-made, I’ve never asked anybody for anyone and I think it’s a shame.
“I also lost my father five months ago so I have had a really bad year.”
Mr Newdall is keen to see his attackers tracked down and has now offered the £1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.
Both suspects are thought to be white. One was slightly over 6ft, the other slightly shorter.
Anyone witnessing anything suspicious in the area of Harrogate Road and Bentcliffe Lane around 8pm on December 11 is asked to contact Killingbeck CID via 0845 606 0606 or call Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on: 0800 555 111.
TAXI passengers will be sent pictures of their driver to their phone in a bid to improve safety.
Cab firm boss Kashef Ahmad has come up with the idea so customers won’t be duped into getting into a bogus cab and will feel safer.
In return, customers can send a picture of themselves so drivers know who to look for outside busy venues.
Kashef, who runs Academy Taxis in Cheetham Hill, said: “This will make things so much safer, particularly for female customers.
“But it’ll also be good for teenagers whose parents might have booked a cab for them so they have peace of mind that they will be safe.
“The taxi industry needs a shake-up and I’m trying to drag it out of the horse and cart era.”
Kashef hopes to have the system up and running before Christmas, and is to change the name of the firm to 6111111.co.uk
The initiative follows an online tracking system he set up when he launched the cab firm.
All his taxis are fitted with Global Position Systems (GPS) so that customers know how far away their cab is.
The 39-year-old, who lives in Hulme with his wife Nasim, set up a taxi training school - Taxi Academy - in 2007”
He said: “I’d been trying to get my licence to drive a cab and I found it so difficult to learn all the roads, that I thought there should be some way of training people.”
“We’ve come a long way since then and we have since trained about 400 drivers.
“As well as teaching them about the geography of Manchester, we teach them about conflict resolution and customer service.
“Some of them now work for me.”
A violent fare-dodger, who fractured a taxi driver’s face in four places after refusing to pay him, sobbed as he was sent to prison.
Caleb Eastwood, 24, cried in the dock at Guildford Crown Court as he was sentenced to eight months in jail on Friday.
His vicious attack, after refusing to pay the £10.50 fare, left the terrified cab driver requiring operations to his cheek and eyeball socket.
Prosecuting, Sean Sullivan told the court Eastwood and two friends were picked up by cab driver Nasir Ali in Redhill on September 13 last year.
Mr Ali took them to a travellers’ site in Merstham where they picked up a female before travelling to Bletchingley where two passengers were dropped off.
Eastwood then requested to be dropped off in Radstock Way, Merstham, but on arrival he attacked the driver when pushed for his fare.
Mr Sullivan said: “He approached the driver’s window and put his hand in his pocket as if going for money, but instead he bought out a fist and punched the driver several times in the face.”
The bleeding cabbie managed to push his panic button and wind up the window, but Eastwood punched through the glass before running off.
Police and ambulance services immediately responded to the panic call but were unable to find Eastwood.
He was later identified by CCTV and arrested.
The father-of-one pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm, making off without payment and damaging property.
Defending, Edward McKiernan told the court Eastwood has a long-running alcohol problem that “needs to be addressed”. He said: “He wants to have a proper family life. He is not actively involved in criminality on a daily basis.”
Eastwood, of Pendle Camp, Merstham, was given eight months’ imprisonment for assault, three months for making off without payment and one month for damaging property. The terms will run concurrently.
Judge Michael Addison said: “Only a custodial sentence can be justified. This sort of violence must be discouraged.
“And secondly, taxi drivers, particularly those who work late at night, should be protected by the courts.”
Mr Khan, from Grimesthorpe, who has been a taxi driver for 14 years, said: “I could have crashed into a wall and killed everybody in the cab. Air rifles can kill - they are very powerful and people have died.”
The cabbie said he had a couple sitting in the back of his vehicle and was level with a block of flats on Stannington Road, Stannington, when they heard a loud bang.
He said: “At first I thought it was kids throwing stones or bricks because we get that quite a lot. I had a couple in the back of the cab so I reassured them. But then when I got out to inspect the damage and realised what had happened I was quite scared.”
Mr Khan said he found a pellet mark on the driver’s side of the cab just below the glass window and the body work had been dented.
He added: “We provide a service. We are licensed through Sheffield City Council and I was just doing my job. We are used to getting bricked and stoned but now it’s firearms attacks and it feels very unsafe.
“Whoever is doing this is a danger to the public. If that had gone through the glass it would have hit me in the face or even hit my customers.”
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said another vehicle had been targeted on the same evening in the same area.
She said: “We are investigating reports two vehicles were shot at with what is believed to be an air weapon in the Stannington Road area of Sheffield.
“The incidents, one of which involved a taxi, all occurred at 11pm on Saturday. No one was injured.”
She said officers from the Hillsborough Safer Neighbourhood Team would be patrolling the area to reassure residents.
He pleaded guilty to two offences of robbery, but denied one of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was found not guilty of the wounding.
Two other robbers are still sought by North East Police Leeds Robbery Team who were commended by the Leeds Crown Court judge.
The court heard that on March 3 this year a 34-year-old taxi driver was attacked by a gang of three men after picking them up seperately at Mexborough Avenue, Chapeltown, the junction with Chapeltown Road, and Woodhouse.
He had been asked by the gang to drive them to Marian Terrace, Woodhouse, where the attack then took place.
All three attacked the cabby’s head and pinned him to his seat, before one of the attackers brandished a knife and demanded cash. He was forced to handed over his cash bag containing £70.
The gang then demanded more money and threatened to stab the driver. They took his wallet and removed his satellite navigation system.
At this point the man with the knife lashed out, causing a 3-4inch wound to the driver’s left hand and a deep wound to his left rib area. Before making off, the gang disabled the driver’s radio so he could not call help.
Thomas’s fingerprints were found inside and outside the taxi and he was linked to the offence through mobile phone enquiries.
He had used the mobile phone involved a number of times to call taxis to and from his home address of 27 Grange Avenue.
The court also heard that on April 6, a 25-year-old cabby received a call at 11pm to a fare at Potternewton Heights.
The person making the booking used the same telephone number as before.
Two black men got in the taxi and directed him to Leeds city centre where they asked to be dropped at Back Newton Grove, Chapeltown – a cul-de-sac with a ginnel that allows exit on foot.
There, one of the men grabbed him around the neck and put a knife to his throat.
The second passenger searched the taxi and stole £40, the driver’s mobile phone and a navigation system.
The robbers made off through the ginnel.
The knife used was described as a 10in kitchen knife. The taxi had been booked by a phone number previously used to book taxis from Tyson’s home address in his name.
Speaking after the court case, Det Sgt Marcus Dawson, said: “Thomas’ sentence reflects the very serious nature of these two robberies and the level of violence which was extremely high for a relatively small amount of money.
“Fortunately both drivers were not seriously injured and I hope seeing Thomas put behind bars will help them move on from what must have been a very frightening experience.”
A JAIL sentence has been handed to a man who robbed and attacked a taxi driver.
A taxi driver picked up two men outside the Crooked Billet in Iver Heath in September and after he had driven down a secluded road, he was assaulted and had his wallet stolen.
Brady Hickman, 20, of Chalfont St Peter and Christopher Spring, 20, were arrested shortly after and remanded in custody until a hearing on Monday.
Hickman was sentenced to 30 months at Aylesbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbing the taxi driver.
Spring pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm and criminal damage and has been released on bail while pre-sentencing reports are being prepared. He will re-appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on December 17 for sentencing.
Det Con Tim Waterworth, the officer in the case, said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack and left the driver with nasty injuries. I am pleased with the sentence given to Hickman, which reflects the seriousness of the offence.
“Taxi drivers put themselves in a vulnerable position to provide an essential service to the community and Thames Valley Police are determined to protect them and bring those who target them to justice.”
Taxi driver left beaten in road
Sunderland cabbie George, who was allegedly attacked by two passengers.
A taxi driver was beaten unconscious and left lying in the road after a savage assault.
The 59-year-old is alleged to have been attacked by two passengers until he passed out.
Cabbie George, who did not want to give his surname for fear of reprisals, picked up two men from a taxi rank in Sunderland city centre last Wednesday evening.
They asked to be taken to an address in County Durham and even paid a deposit up front.
But they allegedly launched the assault after asking him to stop the taxi so they could go to the toilet. The pair eventually ran off after kicking and punching George until he blacked out.
Passing motorists stopped to give first aid and alerted the emergency services.
George was taken by ambulance to Sunderland Royal Hospital suffering head and facial injuries and spent five hours undergoing a number of x-rays.
George, from Sunderland, says his assailants stole nothing and even left their £20 deposit, which was on the dashboard of the Ford cab.
“I’ve been a taxi driver for about 10 years. I’ve had trouble before but not this serious.
“I think it might be getting worse at this time of year as everyone needs money and there are no jobs.”
He added: “They way they grabbed me from behind, I could not do anything.
“I’ve been left with a black eye, my forehead is all black and blue, my throat is really sore and I’ve got a big scratch on the top of my head.”
Now George’s wife wants him to quit the trade. But says he cannot afford not to work and will be behind the wheel again once his face has healed.
Durham police have confirmed a man has been charged with attempted robbery and remanded in custody. A second man has been released on bail pending further inquiries by police.
Gateshead thug Christopher Lowther jailed for cabbie attack
A THUG who robbed a taxi driver with a bottle of Brown Ale has been branded a danger and locked up.
Cabbie Anthony Pringle has been left nervous about who he picks up after Christopher Lowther brandished the bottle at him and demanded cash.
The taxi driver was forced to hand over £137 in fear for his life, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Now a judge has labelled Lowther a “dangerous offender” and locked him up for four years, with an extended licence period of a further four years.
Judge Esmond Faulks said: “You thrust a bottle in his face and threatened to smash it over his face unless he gave you the money. It must have been a terrifying experience for him. You are a dangerous offender and have to be sentenced for the protection of the public as you present a substantial risk of harm.”
Lowther, 23, of Aycliffe Avenue, Gateshead, had got in the cab with three women around 10pm on September 21.
They got in at The Cannon pub in Low Fell, Gateshead, and asked to go to Springwell.
When the taxi got to Aycliffe Avenue, the three girls got out and Lowther asked Mr Pringle to drive round the corner.
Lynne Russell, prosecuting, said: “The defendant held a bottle of Brown Ale and said ‘give us your money or I will smash the bottle in your face’.
“Being a taxi driver he is now nervous about which customers he picks up. He is a hard-working member of the public and doesn’t expect this to happen while he is providing a service.
“He would like the man responsible to be locked up and the key to be thrown away.”
Lowther, who was on licence for an assault at the time of the incident, admitted robbery.
Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: “He is extremely ashamed of his behaviour, he recognises it is nothing short of despicable.”