Taxi Driver Online

Robbers jailed for taxi driver attacks

They targeted taxi drivers – trying to distract them before fleeing with their hard-earned cash.

But now the gang of robbers behind the attacks is behind bars.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that two robberies took place on taxi drivers in October last year. On October 6, Dale Byrne and Calvin Talbot got into a taxi being driven by Shakeel Ahmed outside The Pilot pub in Aldersley, and on the way called in at Dial Store in Hordern Road.

“Mr Ahmed was then requested to drive to Ashmore Park, and because it was a change of direction, Ahmed said he wanted the fare up front,” said Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting.

Mr Ahmed was asked to take them to the cashpoint at the Avion Centre in Whitmore Reans. When they arrived, Talbot accused Mr Ahmed of braking too hard, and grabbed the driver by the shirt, said Mr Searle. Byrne then punched him.

Byrne grabbed Mr Ahmed’s money bag, containing around £100, and both of the defendants ran off.

At around 7am on October 7, taxi driver Zakir Khan was called to the Dial Store in Hordern Road, where he picked up Byrne and Norman Ricketts.

Mr Khan was asked to stop outside an address in Aldersley Avenue, Wolverhampton, and Byrne told Mr Khan some keys had fallen down the side of the seat.

Mr Searle said that while Mr Khan was distracted, Byrne reached into the driver’s door pocket and snatched Mr Khan’s money bag containing £225.

In the scuffle that followed, Byrne pushed Mr Khan sending him backwards, and Ricketts then joined in, punching and kicking Mr Khan until he fell to the ground.

Mr Searle said the attack had left Mr Khan in some pain, with discomfort to the right side of his body. The court was also told that on October 3 Ricketts and Byrne had gone to a Spar shop and taken £2,000 of cigarettes.

Byrne, aged 37, of Faulkland Crescent, Wolverhampton, and Ricketts, 52, of Trinity Road, Birmingham, were each sentenced to five-a-half years in prison.

Byrne pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and a further charge of burglary. Ricketts had denied one charge each of robbery and burglary, but had been convicted by a jury.

Calvin Talbot, aged 36, of Long Furrow, Pendeford, Wolverhampton, was jailed for 16 months after admitting a single charge of robbery.

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/06/09/669359/

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