Taxi Driver Online

Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after taxi driver is threatened with knife in Wimborne

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a taxi driver was threatened with a knife.

Police were called to Wimborne shortly before 11.55pm last night after the incident. The driver had stopped at the BP petrol station in Wimborne Road to ask for directions. He was then approached by a man who threatened him with a knife through an open window.

The taxi driver was able to drive away. He was not injured.

Police arrested a 38-year-old Wimborne man on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. He is continuing to help officers with their investigation.

People living nearby heard a "loud bang" during the night after police rushed to the scene.

Detective Inspector Andy Roberts, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Residents may have heard a loud bang while officers attended the area. I would like to reassure the public that this was a tactic used by officers during the arrest."

He urged any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police to contact officers via dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting 55180106565.

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IDFIMH

Wouldn't there need to be some sort of injury or actual attack to warrant an attempted murder charge?

The episode reads more like a knifepoint robbery.

Actually, it may be that no actual attack or injury is required - just that there's an intention to kill someone and the act is "more than merely preparatory", so I suppose it depends on precisely what happened and the degree of threat etc.

But would hardly come as a surprise if any eventual prosecution/conviction was actually for a lesser offence.

If the intention was to kill, or to do serious harm, then an attempt murder charge can be laid.

But I suspect a guilty plea to a lesser charge will be the outcome.

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IDFIMH

doesn't sound like the police have much to go on so might be very hard to make charge stick

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

On the other hand, doubt if they'd be talking about attempted murder if there wasn't much in the way of evidence.

And because there's been an arrest the case is 'active' in terms of the Contempt of Court Act, so media reports at that stage tend not to say too much in case they prejudice a fair trial, so they maybe give the impression that there's not much to go on, but they're limited in law to reporting only a few basic facts.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism ... 2112133630

So the attempted murder thing has been dropped, and he's been charged with lesser offences.

Note how brief the report is because the suspect has been charged and the case is 'active' in terms of the Contempt of Court Act. Only the basic facts of the case, the charge and the accused are reported.

Man charged after alleged threats to taxi driver

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/1 ... xi-driver/

A man has been charged after a taxi driver was allegedly threatened with a knife.

At 11.52pm on Saturday, it was reported that a male taxi driver had stopped at the BP petrol station on Wimborne Road to ask for directions when a man approached his car and threatened him through the open window with a knife.

The taxi drove off and the driver was uninjured.

A 38-year-old man from Wimborne has been charged with threatening a person with a blade / sharp pointed article in a public place, assault and affray.

He is due to appear at Poole Magistrates’ Court today, Monday 9 July.

I suspect the evidence from the cabby is as good evidence as one can get.

Now the defendant might have a different tale to tell, but then it will down to the jury to decide on the credibility of the witnesses.

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IDFIMH

According to the reports it seems that the incident took place at a BP filling station, so whole thing quite possibly captured on CCTV and/or there were other credible witnesses.

Which in turn is maybe why they arrested and charged the suspect relatively quickly.