Man jailed for Morley taxi driver assault
Ricky Rayson COPYRIGHT NOTICE These images are is issued for publicity purposes only and are the copyright
of the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Police Authority. They must not be published
or republished after 10/10/2011 without the express re issue of consent in writing of the Chief Constable of West
Yorkshire and/or the West Yorkshire Police Authority.Published on Tuesday 4 October 2011 16:34A VIOLENT offender who hit a Morley taxi driver on the head with a rock in a row over a fare has been jailed.
Ricky Rayson, 29, carried out the attack in Beeston after being released from a sentence for robbery in which he walked around a supermarket threatening people with a hammer.
Prosecuting, Michael Greenhalgh told Leeds Crown Court that Rayson was picked up from Beeston at 11.30am on February 16 this year by Morley Cars driver Amir Kayum.
Rayson, of Trentham Close, Beeston, did not have any money to pay for the journey to Leeds city centre but agreed to leave his wallet and documentation with the driver and arranged to pay him later that day.
At 2.50pm, Rayson sent Mr Kayum a text message asking to meet him at a pub in Beeston so he could pay. Rayson gave £6 but was told he needed to pay £10.
He then took Mr Kayum to the home of his former girlfriend, but she refused to give any more money, saying Rayson had been overcharged.
Rayson then rang the police to complain and demanded the driver return his wallet and papers.
Mr Greenhalgh said the driver handed them over but Rayson continued to be aggressive and hit the car window with a bottle of alcohol he had been drinking from.
Rayson then ran off but the driver ran after him.
At this point, Rayson picked up a large rock and threatened to kill Mr Rayson before hitting him across the back of the head with it, causing cuts and bruising.
Rayson, who had taken amphetamines at the time of the attack, was arrested two days later.
He told officers: “I digged him and I will do it again. He should have given me my wallet. I hope he has got a scar.”
Rayson pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, possessing an offensive weapon and breach of a restraining order.
Mr Greenhalgh said Rayson had previously been detained under the Mental Health Act after a robbery in which he threatened people with a hammer in the Iceland store in Burmantofts, east Leeds.
The court heard he also had convictions for attacks on hospital staff while he was detained.
Theresa Clark, mitigating, said Rayson had suffered a troubled childhood which had left him unable to cope in difficult situations.
His problems had been made worse by alcohol and drug abuse.
Jailing him for five years, Recorder Hirst said: “Taxi drivers are always vulnerable because they have to rely on people being law abiding.”
Rayson replied: “Your honour, I thought he was taking the mickey out of me."
“I rang the police to get help and they knocked me back. What else do you do when he is chasing me around?”Source; http://www.morleyobserver.co.uk/news/lo ... _1_3837609
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