Passenger’s vicious fire extinguisher attack on Aberdeen taxi driver
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A nighttime reveller who vomited in a taxi went on to brutally assault the driver with a fire extinguisher after he was told he’d have to pay to clean it up.
Ross Dunbar, 25, struck the taxi driver over the head as he was being driven home from a city centre nightclub on Christmas Eve.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Dunbar has no memory of his violent actions because he was so drunk at the time.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart told the court that at around 4am on Christmas Eve last year Dunbar was picked up by a taxi outside Soul Bar on Union Street.
When they got to a junction at John Street, the driver looked in his rearview mirror and saw Dunbar vomiting in the back of the taxi and informed him he would have to pay a £50 clean-up fee.
“At this time the accused refused to pay by card but said that he would pay in cash when he was returned home,” Ms Stewart said.
“The complainer thereafter continued driving and as he negotiated a bend he looked back and the accused struck him in the face with the vehicle’s fire extinguisher.”
The driver slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over before fleeing the vehicle to “ensure his own safety”.
Dunbar then walked away as the driver contacted the police.
The taxi driver was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where glue was required to close a laceration on his face.
Dunbar, of Newburgh Road, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault.
Defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that his client “can’t remember clearly what happened as he was extremely intoxicated”.
“Obviously, this is a serious matter and having had the chance to look through the evidence Mr Dunbar feels terrible about what he did,” Mr Maitland said.
“It seems that he got more and more annoyed that he was sick on himself and sitting in that state – but what made him pick up the item and hit the driver is really anyone’s guess.
“He regrets it and feels really terrible and he knows he must be punished for that.”
Sentencing Dunbar, Sheriff Margaret Hodge told him that she took into account his lack of previous criminal record and his subsequent remorse.
“However, I’m concerned that there is no real excuse for this violent attack – it was unprovoked,” she added.
Sheriff Hodge fined Dunbar £520 and ordered him to pay compensation to the driver of £250.
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