Taxi passenger who planned to kidnap driver armed with foot-long knife and meat cleaver is jailed for three years Thomas Patick Mooney has been jailed for three years for attempting to kidnap a terrified Aberystwyth taxi driver
A MAN who tried to kidnap an Aberystwyth taxi driver armed with a foot long knife, a meat cleaver and two electrical cords tied into nooses has been jailed for three years.
Swansea Crown Court heard how Thomas Patrick Mooney, 29, of Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, flagged down a Ford Focus estate taxi being driven by Patrick Nicholas in the early hours of October 13 at a point near Aberystwyth Railway Station.
Mooney was said to have been not only under extreme stress at the time because he could not accept the breakdown of his marriage, but also drunk.
'He was frightened for his life'
Jim Davis, prosecuting, said: “He got into the back of the taxi and asked to be taken to Rhydyfelin.
“When they got there and Mooney was told the fare was six pounds he leaned forward and Mr Nicholas could see he was holding what looked like a twelve inch long knife at an angle.
“He was frightened for his life, opened his car door and started running, leaving his previous night’s takings of around £300 under the seat.
“He eventually hid in a nearby garden where he soon heard the sound of his car’s engine being revved up.”
He planned to put him in the bootThe court heard Mooney how drove the taxi around five miles away where he was stopped by Dyfed Powys Police.
Mr Davis said: “He told the police he was going to abduct the taxi driver.
“He said he was going to tie him up and put him in the boot and eventually let him out in Newtown unharmed.”
However, according to Mr Davis, Mooney also said he was going to kill the taxi driver if he “got caught”.
Nearly double the drink drive limitThe defendant had also pointed out to police that he had electrical cords around his neck fashioned into nooses while officers also found a 12 inch knife in the taxi along with a meat cleaver.
Mooney admitted attempting to kidnap Patrick Nicholas and possessing three knives in a public place in Rhydyfelin.
He also admitted driving the Ford Focus Estate taxi along the A470 near Aberystwyth while disqualified.
The defendant was also nearly double the legal drink drive limit, the court heard.
As well as being jailed for a total of three years for all offences, Mooney was disqualified from driving for five years and handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting or attempting to contact Patrick Nicholas in any way indefinitely.
Cab driver was left 'fearful'Judge Thomas told him: ”You later told probation officers you intended to take your own life because you could not accept the breakdown of your marriage and because of your misuse of alcohol and drugs.
“Fortunately, Mr Nicholas did not suffer any physical harm but he added there was psychological harm because of the nature of the incident.”
The court heard how Mr Nicholas was left “fearful” after the incident and called for the restraining order to be put in place.
He added that he had to have all the locks on his home replaced because his keys were lost and the meter of his taxi had been ripped off.
'He's already engaged with Alcoholics Anonymous'
The cash, which had been under a seat in his taxi was later found in a field.
Catherine Richards, defending, asked the judge to consider that Mooney’s genuine expressions of remorse.
She said: “He has already engaged with Alcoholics Anonymous while on remand in prison over these charges and was under extreme personal stress at the time of this incident.”
She added no actual violence was used towards Mr Nicholas during the incident and she added while it was not mitigation, the defendant’s mental state at the time of the attempted kidnap “gave an indication as to what type of person the court was dealing with”.
source:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... p-10802520
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