Thought this had gotten to court pretty quickly, but it's actually New Year's Day over three years ago
Mansfield men terrorised and robbed taxi driver on New Year’s Dayhttps://www.chad.co.uk/news/crime/mansf ... ay-3546470A Mansfield taxi driver who was attacked and robbed by two men as he drove them home on New Year's Day had been assaulted the week before, a court has heard.Matthew Northridge grabbed the gearstick and demanded cash after asking the ACE-ABC taxi driver to stop on Chesterfield Road North, just before 6am, on January 1, 2019.
At first the driver thought he was joking, but when he said he didn’t have any, Northridge persisted and told him: “I want all the money – you earn a lot.”
Prosecutor Julia King described how Northridge, aged 37, grabbed the steering wheel while Marc Parkin got out of the back seat, grabbed the driver by his collar, and pulled his jacket over his head.
“He was terrified and said he would give them the money,” she said.
Parkin, aged 34, pulled him out of the taxi, where he broke free and ran off towards a petrol station, shouting for help. Both men gave chase. Northridge pushed him to the floor and punched him on the shoulder and chest.
When the driver handed over a £20 note, Parkin walked away, but Northridge continued to demand more, saying “this was his way of earning money.”
A further £110 was handed over and Parkin said: “Leave it, you've done enough.”
They were traced through the mobile used to book the taxi and arrested later that day.
Nottingham Crown Court heard the driver was "terrified during the robbery" as he had been assaulted a week earlier, on Christmas Day, 2018.
In a statement from 2019, he said he has been too scared to work past 10pm and his earnings were nearly £5,000 down on the previous year.
On Friday, Judge Stuart Rafferty told them: “I hope that listening to that explanation of your offence and the effect it had on the driver made both of you ashamed.”
He said they would have gone straight to prison if it wasn’t for Covid-related delays and the fact they have kept out of trouble in the meantime
Northridge, of Hobhouse Road, and Parkin, of Wharmby Avenue, both Mansfield, each received two years, suspended for two years, and must pay £100 compensation.
"Time for both of you to grow up and behave like men, not oversized teenage boys,” the judge told them.
Login
Register
FAQ
