On one level, this is same old, same old. But some interesting details, such as the charge admitted and that the prosecution considered it necessary to put him on trial on a more serious charge.
And certainly more debilitating for the driver than the average attack by a banger like this
Taxi driver suffers serious injuries after drunken passenger knocks him outhttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... d-25601525The cabbie said he can no longer remember his own granddaughter
Image: South Wales Police/Wales OnlineA taxi driver who was knocked out by a drunken passenger and suffered serious head injuries says the attack has destroyed his life.
Lewis Liddell assaulted the cabbie after drinking heavily and taking cocaine for the first time. After an argument with the taxi driver outside the cab he delivered a powerful punch which sent his victim crashing to the floor. The cabbie has been left unable to work and says he cannot remember his own granddaughter.
The defendant denied inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent but did not give evidence at his trial as he has no memory of the incident.
Joshua Scouller, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court the assault took place the week before Christmas last year after Liddell had been "drinking heavily" in bars in Cardiff city centre. After a number of cabbies refused his fare due to his level of intoxication the defendant secured a taxi. The court heard it is not known what happened in the vehicle as neither driver nor passenger has any memory of the journey but the taxi stopped near Roath police station and the occupants were seen to be arguing.
The prosecutor said both men got out of the cab and Liddell was seen to grab the cabbie before throwing him to the floor as the pair scuffled. A passer-by saw what was going on and shouted at Liddell - an intervention which led to the defendant walking away. However, the court heard 34-year-old Liddell then turned around and delivered a single powerful punch to his victim's head - the eyewitness said the taxi driver was likely unconscious before he hit the pavement.
Liddell then walked away and went into the nearby Don Leisure amusement arcade where he told customers he had been robbed but did not know what he had done.
In a victim impact statement which was read to the court the taxi driver said he had been a cabbie for 20 years and loved the job but had been left unable to work, feeling scared to leave the house, and now cannot remember his granddaughter. He said his wife had had to give up her job to look after him, and the attack had destroyed his life. In a statement from the cabbie's son he said his dad had been "a pillar of the community, the head of the household, and a loving grandfather" but now feels like he is a "burden" and "feels alive but not living; here but not present".
Lewis Liddell, of Crawford Drive, Pontprennau, Cardiff, had previously been convicted at trial of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He had admitted the lesser charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent but that plea was rejected by the prosecution, and a trial was sought. The defendant has previous convictions for criminal damage and battery, as well as cautions for taking a vehicle without consent, theft, and possession of a Class B drug.
James Wing, for Liddell, said the defendant had been drunk on the day in question and had taken cocaine for the first time. He said Liddell has no memory of the incident which was why he had not given evidence during the trial as he "had nothing to say". The barrister added that at the time of the assault his client was "undergoing a crisis of mental health".
Judge Shomon Khan sentenced Liddell to eight years in prison. The defendant will serve two-thirds of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
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