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Jail for robber who repeatedly punched Bradford taxi driver in the head
A MAN has been jailed for three years for robbing a Bradford taxi driver of his phone by repeatedly punching him in the head.
Joseph Smith, 21, had committed an almost exactly similar offence before by punching a cabbie in the ribs to snatch his phone, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.
Smith, of Summerfield Road, Thorpe Edge, Bradford, hired a taxi from Norfolk Gardens in the city centre at 1.30pm on February 21, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said.
He asked to be taken to Newcastle House, on Barkerend Road, Bradford, and when the driver pulled up after the ten minute journey, Smith lent over and grabbed his phone.
When the victim seized him by the trousers to try to stop him fleeing with the £140 Samsung S5, Smith punched him several times in the head.
The taxi driver followed him and saw him go into Newcastle House, Mr Ahmed told the court.
The police were called and Smith was arrested.
He made no comment in his police interview but went on to admit the charge of robbery.
The court heard that the victim had been a taxi driver for 27 years and was left shaken and distressed.
He suffered a scratched hand in the attack but feared he would sustain more serious injuries.
He told the police he had never known such violence in his long career as a taxi driver and had been left shocked and afraid.
Smith had eight previous convictions for 13 offences and was on prison licence when he committed the robbery.
His record included attempted robbery of a phone in the street, possession of a knife, possession of a pellet gun and criminal damage.
In 2018, he committed an almost identical robbery with two accomplices.
They snatched a taxi driver’s phone, punching him repeatedly in the ribs when he tried to stop them making off with it.
Smith’s barrister, Abigail Langford, said his partner was expecting their child.
Although no probation report had been prepared, he was anxious to be dealt with so he knew when he would be released.
He was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison where he was being held on remand.
Miss Langford conceded that a taxi driver was a vulnerable victim but said there was no evidence of severe psychological harm in this case.
Smith pleaded guilty without legal advice because prison conferences had been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
He had no recollection of committing the offence and had been using his time in custody usefully until lockdown.
Judge Jonathan Gibson said the taxi driver had been in great fear and was left deeply upset by the robbery.
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