Taxi Driver Online

Robber jailed for five years after Cardiff taxi driver hit with stick and kicked for £20


Crown Court told vicious attack left cabbie psychologically as well as physically damaged


A robber has been jailed for five years for his third offence against taxi drivers in the city.

In May this year Michael Bratcher, 25, and an accomplice escaped with £20 after terrifying a Cardiff cabbie in Riverside.

But he had done it twice before, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

The latest victim was attacked with a stick and with kicks and was said to have been left psychologically as well as physically damaged.

Sentencing Bratcher, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Eleri Rees, said the driver suffered injuries which fortunately were not serious but which did include a two-inch cut requiring hospital attention.

She said: “There seems to be a pattern here with you attacking drivers in the early hours. This time you got into the cab with another person and the robbery was started by you when you put your hand around the driver’s throat from behind.

“Threats were made and money demanded and he had to battle against two of you – one of you armed with a piece of wood.

“He was punched and kicked until other people intervened, bringing what was a sustained attack to an end.”

Bratcher, of Alwen Drive, Thornhill, Cardiff, was told his position was aggravated by the fact it was an attack by two people – the other never having been traced – it was late at night, wood and feet were used as weapons and drink was involved.

But particularly because of the two previous convictions for identical offences.

The judge added: “He was targeted because of his vulnerable occupation as he tried to serve the public.”

Derek Gooden, defending, said Bratcher lapsed into bad behaviour after drinking and he accepted such a vicious attack was abhorrent.

Now he just wanted to know his fate so that he could serve his sentence and return to his partner.

“He has a long-term relationship to come out to and he knows he can’t go on committing offences,” he said.

The court was told the best point which could be put forward for Bratcher was that he pleaded guilty within a week of it happening.

A manhunt remains under way for the accomplice involved in terrifying the Cardiff cabbie.

The second man was in the taxi and asked to be taken from the city centre to Pentrebane.

He is described as white, aged in his 20s, around 5ft 10in to 6ft tall, of stocky build, with short dark hair. He was wearing dark clothing and made off from the taxi in the direction of Craddock Street, Riverside.

Meanwhile, officer in the case Detective Constable Owain Morrison from Fairwater CID said: “I would like to thank the victim for his patience during this investigation and the members of public who intervened and potentially prevented his injuries from being a lot worse.

“Taxi drivers have a challenging job at times and we appreciate the work they do in taking people, who are often intoxicated, home from the city centre.

“These kinds of offences will not be tolerated and we carry out extensive inquiries to catch the perpetrators.”

Anyone with information about the second man is asked to contact DC Morrison at Fairwater CID on 02920 571 542 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local ... er-5323976

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

Five years, I think the Judge didn't like him.

And that's a cause for celebration.

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IDFIMH

I think he didn't like him because he didn't tell the judge who helped him

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

And be in no doubt that judge asked for that case to be put before him.

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IDFIMH

Looking at what has been written - It would seem that it is a culmination of events has caught up with him, with perhaps more than meets the eye. Five years these days is a real Wowser . More of that and crime would disappear overnight - and of course the judiciary would be out of a job.............so do not get used to it

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Five years for doing it twice?? If that's the case it's not long enough or has he been sentenced for doing it before?

But the actual damage, for want of a better word, was on the low side.

That's the way things work.

If we compare that with a certain scum-bag that admitted sexually assaulting children, who has had his sentence doubled today, to the sentence for the taxi driver attacker, shows that sexual scum-bag has not got 30 months, whilst taxi attacker got 60 months.

Is the latter twice as bad as the former? Not in my view.

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IDFIMH