Hull dad robs taxi driver after blaming him for bringing Covid to the UK
A dad-of-two has been told he is “not a baby anymore” after robbing a taxi driver and blaming him for bringing Covid to the UK.
A drunk Ricky Londesborough told a Hull taxi driver “you lot brought this virus to us” after he felt ripped off for being charged £9 for a fare.
The 26-year-old was then dragged out of the car by a friend as he tried to rob the driver and was caught by police after his own brother told them where they could find him.
Londesborough tried to pin the blame on the friend who put a stop to the robbery but appeared before Hull Crown Court on January 20 to be sentenced.
Londesborough and his friend were picked up by a taxi in Dorchester Road to be taken to Albert Avenue at around 11pm on April 30 last year.
The driver started to feel uncomfortable when he was asked about his nationality and was told what route he should take.
Despite this he answered Londesborough’s question and did as he was told so there would not be any issues.
When they arrived in Albert Avenue the driver asked the two men for £9 for the fare.
“I knew you would rip me off,” said Londesborough. “You lot brought this virus to us.”
The other passenger stayed calm throughout and went into his wallet to give the driver the money.
However, Londesborough told him to not pay the driver and then held up a bottle of Budweiser and said, “I’m going to get money off him”.
Londesborough jumped into the front and started searching around the dashboard whilst holding up the bottle of beer.
The driver attempted to push Londesborough towards the passenger door but he kept searching and took the driver’s work phone.
His his friend tried to discourage him.
“I don’t care,” said Londesborough. “Ring the f****** police or take me there now.”
It was at this point that the other passenger decided to step in and dragged Londesborough out of the car allowing the driver to escape and pull up on Anlaby Road where he would call the police from his personal phone.
Londesbrough was captured after his own brother contacted the taxi company to give back the driver’s work phone. When officers arrived at his door he told them where they could find his brother.
“The defendant accepted he had been in the taxi but blamed the other male,” said prosecuting barrister David Hewitt at Hull Crown Court.
“He was drinking a lot due to a family bereavement. He said he paid the driver £10 and that it was him who pulled the other male out of the taxi.”
The incident left the victim “traumatised” and “terrified” that he was going to be hit over the head with the bottle.
Mr Hewitt said: “He didn’t expect to be treated like this. He was just trying to earn a living for himself and his family.
“He has stopped doing night shifts as a result of what happened to him.”
Londesborough has six convictions for 19 offences on his record including four offences of common assault from 2016 to 2019.
Londesborough admitted to having “bitter regrets” about what he had done and was “disgusted” by his own actions.
“He has not tried to minimise his actions,” said mitigating barrister David Godfrey. “He bitterly regrets what he has done and has expressed his apologies to the man that he so appallingly treated on that particular evening.
“In his own words, he is disgusted by what he did.
“I have asked him why on earth he acted the way he did that night. He said he lost his head.”
Ricky Londesborough was sentenced to three years in prison for robbery.
