Taxi Driver Online

Jail for pair who attacked cabbie

Two men who robbed a taxi driver in Northampton were arrested when the victim flagged down two passing off-duty police officers, a court heard.
Marcus Barrett, aged 23, and 18-year-old Evans Chirwa, were being driven home when they decided to rob their taxi driver.

Northampton Crown Court heard how they were both drunk having been out celebrating Barrett's birthday on September 8 last year.

Stephen Crouch, prosecuting, said the driver had collected four men from a house in Kirton Close, Blackthorn. He added: "As they were making their way to Thorplands, Barrett said to the driver, 'I'm not going to pay. What would you do if I was to take your Tom Tom (sat-nav system] and your phone?' "

As they arrived near Farm Field Court, the gang got out and smashed a window, while the driver was assaulted and his phone and money stolen.

Mr Crouch said the driver was able to flag down a passing car, adding: "And by a happy coincidence, they were two off-duty police officers.

"This was a joint enterprise robbery, four-on-one, on a vulnerable victim, late at night."

The pair were arrested but only after Chirwa had resisted being arrested by fighting one of the officers.

Judge Charles Wide QC said: "Taxi drivers perform a very useful public service, late at night, and when alone in their taxis, they are very vulnerable targets and the courts will protect them.

"The aggravating features of this robbery it that it was committed against a taxi driver, late at night, and he was outnumbered four to one."

Chirwa, of Birds Hill Road, Standens Barn, admitted robbery and resisting arrest and was jailed for a total of two years and seven months. Barrett, of Farm Field Court, Thorplands, admitted robbery and was jailed for the same length of time, due to being older than his co-defendant.

The judge told Chirwa: "The police have a difficult enough job to do and that job is all the more difficult when instead of submitting to arrest, people violently fight back. People who behave in this way will almost always get a consecutive sentence."

source: http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

At least this judge has shown more sympathy for the trade than that lot who dealt with the slag in a wheelchair.

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IDFIMH