Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2003 7:25 pm
Posts: 37494
Location: Wayneistan
|
Darlington man sentenced for drunken assault on taxi driver over queue jumping claimsA TAXI driver was left with glass embedded in his eye after a drunk smashed the window of his car while raging about queue jumping.
Brett Ronald Skelton, of Collingsway, Darlington, punched the driver's side window of the taxi, causing shards of glass to shower down on the driver and two young women in the back seat.
The 35-year-old tree surgeon had been on a Christmas night out in the town when the violent altercation occurred at Grange Road taxi rank at about 3.45am on Saturday, December 20.
One woman was left with bleeding lacerations on her arms and legs, the other had a cut to the ankle but it was the taxi driver who sustained the most serious injuries, requiring “excruciatingly” painful surgery to remove a chunk of glass from his eye.
Skelton, who was identified and arrested after CCTV stills from the incident were shown in The Northern Echo, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm last month.
The father-of-one also admitted two charges of common assault and a further criminal damage charge and the case was adjourned for probation reports.
Rachael Dodsworth, prosecuting at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday (Thursday, March 19), said the driver had picked up two women at the front of the taxi queue when Skelton pulled open the driver's side door, leaned inside and shouted about being at the front of the queue.
She said the driver had just managed to pull the door closed when a drunken Skelton punched through the glass with his right fist.
In a statement read out in court the victim described his eye injury as painful and disfiguring.
“The white of my eye is now almost totally red,” he said.
“When I got home and woke my wife she was horrified and upset by what she saw. My two young children are also very upset.”
Michael Clarke, mitigating, said: “Mr Skelton feels genuine remorse for what has occurred and more over I would ask the court to accept he had no intention whatsoever to cause injury to anyone.”
Mr Clarke described the incident as alcohol fuelled and totally out of character, adding: “If ever there was a case of too much Christmas spirit this is it.”
Magistrates sentenced Skelton to a total of 16 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months.
He must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 compensation to the driver, £100 to each passenger, £170 to cover the damage, £85 costs and a £80 victim surcharge.
Commenting on the result, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Simon Cowan said: “The police will not tolerate alcohol fuelled loutish behaviour in our town and the sentence reflects how seriously the courts regard such crimes.
"I hope the victims can now feel a sense of closure by Mr Skelton’s guilty plea.”
source: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/l ... 1869272._/
_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
|
|
Login
Register
FAQ
