Taxi Driver Online

Mayals robber waved a knife at taxi driver during "bizarre" drunken robbery

A ROBBER who waved a knife at a taxi driver has been jailed after a judge said he posed a serious risk to the public. Mark Cameron Provan, 20, had gambled and drunk his money away during a night out in Swansea city centre but needed a taxi to get home.

He approached several taxi drivers asking them to take him, despite having no cash, but all refused, except Craig Phipps. He agreed to take Provan to his home at Westport Avenue, Mayals, if he paid his fare on arrival.

Provan went into his home but returned with a "substantial" kitchen knife, Swansea Crown Court heard. He approached Mr Phipps, holding the £10 fare and the knife and told the taxi driver he would not hand the money over. He then threw the fare on the ground and began threatening to kill Mr Phipps. Provan, who has previous convictions, told him he was not afraid of returning to jail.

He then asked Mr Phipps for the rest of his takings and when he told him he did not have any more money except the £10 he had paid. Mr Phipps handed it over to Provan, who threw down the knife and ran off. Mr Phipps collected the knife and called police, but Provan returned a second and then a third time. He was convicted of robbery and possession of a knife by a jury earlier this month.

Provan's convictions include one from 2006 when he was convicted of assault, one from the following year of theft and assaulting a police officer and in 2009 a conviction for violent and disorder as well as two for robbery and another for attempted robbery.

Georgina Buckley, representing Provan, said: "He is somebody who has difficulties which may explain why he behaved so bizarrely on this occasion." "He had put his previous problems with drugs behind him and he was training as an estate agent before this," she added.

"You have a worrying, troubling record in terms of the gravity of your offending," said Recorder Paul Hopkins. "You are plainly wasting the opportunity in your life," he added. "I am satisfied you represent a significant risk to the public of causing serious personal injury in the future," he said.

Recorder Hopkins then imposed an extended sentence of five years. Provan will then have to serve a further five years on licence.

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