Bristol taxi driver had knife held to his throat, court told
A taxi driver fought off a knife-wielding passenger who tried to rob him of his sat nav system, a court heard.
Bristol Crown Court was told Aurangzeb Sabir picked up a group of people from Rose Green community centre, Whitehall, and drove them to Staple Hill.
He said back-seat passenger Kyren Harris held a knife to his throat and said: "Give me all the money", before racially abusing him and making an unsuccessful attempt to grab his Tom Tom device. The would-be robber snatched the car keys and fled, the court was told.
Harris, 20, of Burley Grove, Mangotsfield, denies attempted robbery and theft in March last year.
William Hunter, prosecuting, showed the jury CCTV stills of Harris and a man he was with on the night.
Mr Sabir, speaking from behind a screen
with the aid of an interpreter, said he drove his Toyota to the community centre and picked up three men and a child.
He described driving the group to Tesco at Eastville, which was closed, before stopping at The Best shop in Stokes Croft, where two of the men bought a case of lager.
Mr Aurangzeb said he then drove on, dropping a man and child off in South View, Staple Hill.
The jury heard when he stopped again in Northcote Road, he was attacked.
He said: "The male sat at the rear put a grip around me and placed a knife under my throat. The knife was five to six inches long, and three to four inches wide.
"He said 'Give me all the money'.
"The one in the front seat didn't do anything. I became frightened, I panicked and pushed him back and opened the car door."
Mr Aurangzeb said that, outside his car, the man with the knife stood in front of him before punching him twice in the face.
He said: "It caused a deep wound and I began to bleed. He then made an attempt to pull my Tom Tom that was placed in my car.
"I moved him slightly and I didn't let him take the Tom Tom."
The taxi driver said that he pushed the knifeman away, before the man grabbed his ignition keys and fled with his friend.
He said: "I screamed and someone in a house in Northcote Road helped me. He asked me what happened, I told him what happened, he asked me if I needed the police and I said 'yes'."
The case continues.
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