A TEENAGER who consumed a cocktail of drink and drugs attacked a taxi driver because he could not pay his fare.
Leon Jennings ordered a taxi from the Co-operative at Hanford to take him to Tesco, Trent Vale, at 10.20pm on February 19.
After stealing a bottle of wine from the supermarket, he went to a cash point but returned to the taxi and told the driver it was not working.
He then asked to be taken back to the Co-operative to withdraw cash there.
Prosecutor Paul Spratt yesterday told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Jennings believed he had cash in his account and only realised he did not when he used the machine at Hanford.
"He told the driver and a dispute arose, which developed into a physical struggle," said Mr Spratt.
"The defendant accepts he overreacted and used unlawful violence."
The driver was left with a 1cm cut to his left ear, soreness to his head and a cut to his finger. He pressed the emergency button which alerted his base that he was in trouble and got out of the cab.
Jennings also got out and, after a further verbal exchange, the driver got back in and drove off at speed with the passenger door open.
Jennings, aged 19, of Oxford Street, Penkhull, was arrested the next day. The court heard he had little recollection because he had taken alcohol and methadrone.
He was originally charged with attempted robbery but the Crown Prosecution accepted a guilty plea to a lesser charge of affray and a not guilty verdict was entered for the original charge. Jennings also admitted stealing the wine.
David Jackson, mitigating, said Jennings, who has no previous convictions, has learnt a salutary lesson.
"It is yet another example of how a young man, through his consumption of a cocktail of alcohol and what was then a lawful drug, led him to behave the way he did that night," added Mr Jackson.
Judge Granville Styler told Jennings if he had been convicted of attempted robbery he would have been going to custody. But because he pleaded guilty to a much lesser offence and he has no previous convictions, the judge sentenced him to a 12-month community order, with 12 months' supervision and 150 hours unpaid work.
"Taxi drivers who work late at night are vulnerable and have to be protected by the courts," said Judge Styler.
He told Jennings: "I do not think you are going to trouble the courts again.
"May this be a lesson to you – taking a cocktail of drink and drugs may lead you and others into trouble."
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