Taxi Driver Online

Ely taxi driver 'let down over lenient sentence' of Stuart Bartlett after early hours assault



A taxi driver who was assaulted while waiting for fares in Ely has said he feels 'disappointed and let down' over the sentence of his attacker.

Stuart David Bartlett, 27, grabbed the shirt of William Noble - from family business Noble Cars in Ely - before attempting to drag him from the window of the car he was waiting in, Cambridge Magistrates' Court heard.

Bartlett, of Upton Place in Littleport, Ely, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage on Tuesday.

He denied the prosecution's claims that he punched the victim or grabbed him round the throat, but admitted pulling his shirt.

Magistrates handed Bartlett 80 hours unpaid work and ordered him to pay £65 in compensation to Mr Noble and £170 court costs.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: “At 2am on Saturday, June 4 this year the victim was parked in a taxi rank waiting for fares when the defendant came shouting and running across the road from the Balti King on Market Street.

“Mr Noble said he was then punched in the face by Bartlett.

“He had known the defendant for three years and said he had on-going issues with him due to him not paying a number of taxi fares. He said he no longer lets him in his cabs because of this."

Bartlett had to be pulled back from the taxi twice by friends before he was restrained by a police officer, the court heard.

He pulled Mr Noble's shirt so hard that the hem and buttons ripped – resulting in the criminal damage charge.

In a victim impact statement Mr Noble said he was left shocked because there was no reason for Bartlett to act in a “violent and aggressive" manner.

He added: “All I was doing was sitting in my taxi cab; I didn't move from my driver's seat the whole time."

Christina Metcalfe, mitigating, said Bartlett had kept out of trouble since 2010 but accepted he lost control on this occasion.

She added: “The two men fell out over the defendant's ex-partner who works in Ely.

“He discovered the victim had been informing his ex-partner when and who he was out with."

Speaking after the sentencing, Mr Noble said he felt 'disappointed and let down over the lenient sentence'.

He said he never knew the case went to court and he hopes to give his £65 compensation to the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

Read more at http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/ely-tax ... FT0PmMy.99

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

He had known the guy for 3 years and had not paid on a number of occasions! The scroat has obviously taken it as a sign of weakness and then taken it a step further. Within the last year I came across a guy who had flimmped me for about 60/80p 18 months prior - I took great pleasure in refusing him, saying to him "You do not pay your fare in full".......He walked away without a quibble - it's got to be done.

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

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

If the fella pleads guilty then there was no reason for him to know prior to the court hearing.

And the leniency was due to the CPS agreeing that there wasn't enough evidence of a punch or a grab on the throat.

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IDFIMH