Taxi Driver Online

Surprised there's no mention of Uber shoehorned into this


Boy, 16, stabbed Aberdeen taxi driver in row over unpaid fare

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... xi-driver/

The teenager - who is now 17 and cannot be named for legal reasons – knifed the man in the arm in Inverurie.

A 17-year-old boy has been branded a “significant” risk to the public after he stabbed an Aberdeen taxi driver.

The teenager – who was just 16 at the time of the offence and cannot be named due to his age – and another young male hailed a cab in Aberdeen city centre and asked to be taken to Inverurie.

However, when they arrived at their destination, the pair exited the taxi without paying and ran into a property on Stonefield Place.

The pair were pursued by the taxi driver, who continued to demand the fare, and an argument broke out.

As the situation escalated, the teenager left and returned with a knife and stabbed the taxi driver in the arm, causing permanent disfigurement.

In the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of assault to severe injury

Teen vaped in the dock

Following the guilty plea, his solicitor, Christopher Maitland, described it as “serious offence” and called for the court to defer sentence for a psychological assessment to be carried out on his client.

Sheriff Graham Buchanan described a social work report into the teenager as “quite concerning” and said that the teenager “presents a significant risk to the public at large”.

As this discussion took place, the teenager seemed disorientated and repeatedly restless in the dock – at one stage smoking a vape and demanding that those in the court “hurry the f*** up”.

Mr Maitland repeatedly tried to settle his client down, with little success.

‘Great concern’ over risk teen poses to public

Due to this behaviour, Sheriff Buchanan expressed concern for the boy’s mental health and questioned the wisdom of allowing the teenager bail.

He added that the report gave him “great concern” about his potential to violently reoffend, and he should be held in detention until sentencing.

The sheriff added that the teenager’s inability to focus on proceedings wasn’t “doing much to help himself”.

Remanding him in custody, Sheriff Buchanan told the teenager: “I’m going to continue this case to get a psychological assessment in order to determine the level of risk that you pose to the general public.”

He deferred sentence until early September.

Call me cynical, but maybe he's just a tad feral, aggressive and entitled rather than needing a 'psychological assessment'

But you need a Trick Cyclist to say so Stuart.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Call me equally cynical, but maybe the Judge just wanted a reason to keep the thug in custody.

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IDFIMH

I thought this sounded like an enormous fare from Aberdeen to Inverurie - £50

But according to Google it's around 18 miles, so in fact not particularly dear at 1am.

No shortage of detail here, though...

And photo at bottom, for what it's worth


Teen who stabbed taxi driver in Inverurie can finally be named

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... -be-named/

Jack Henderson-Crossley was just 16 when he carried out his crime but can now be identified after he turned 18 last month.

A teen who stabbed a taxi driver in Inverurie after refusing to pay the £50 fare has been jailed – and can now be named.

Jack Henderson-Crossley was just 16 when he made threats to slit the man’s throat, then returned to confront him with a kitchen knife.

Up until now, legal restrictions meant Henderson-Crossley could not be named – however, he recently turned 18 and so can be identified.

The youth was placed on remand last month after he turned up to court and appeared to be under the influence of drink.

Henderson-Crossley was sent to Kibble Care Centre in Paisley, but the court was told he was moved just days ago to HMP Polmont after he turned 18 last month.

Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Henderson-Crossley and an unnamed male hailed a taxi at around 1am on July 31 last year from Back Wynd in Aberdeen city centre and asked to be taken to Inverurie.

Hailed a taxi in Aberdeen

“They were quoted a fare of between £45 and £50,” Mr Middleton said. “They agreed to the fare and they both got in.”

The pair were driven to a hostel on Stonefield Place in Inverurie and told the fare was going to be £50.

They both got out and said they would get cash from inside the property nearby.

Wanting some reassurance that they would return and pay, the driver asked for a phone to be left in his cab.

“This was declined,” Mr Middleton continued. “With this, all three got out of the taxi.

“[The accused] and the other male entered a property and tried to close the door behind them, however, the complainer used his foot to stop the door from being closed completely.”

Row over unpaid fare

The court heard an argument ensued, with both passengers shouting at the taxi driver and making threats to hit him.

Their intimidation continued and Henderson-Crossley was heard to shout, ‘I’ll slit his throat’.

Undeterred, the driver followed them again, placing his foot in their door, Mr Middleton said.

“[Henderson-Crossley] went away from the door and returned with a kitchen knife,” the fiscal depute said.

“The other male told him ‘not to do it’ but [Henderson-Crossley] used the knife in an upwards stabbing motion and stabbed the complainer once to the left arm, causing it to start bleeding immediately.”

Bloodied knife found

The receptionist at the hostel contacted the police and an ambulance was called.

Mr Middleton said: “A search of the property resulted in officers finding a black handled kitchen knife on the kitchen worktop, with blood on the blade.”

The taxi driver was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and treated for a 2cm deep wound, which required stitches and has since left a permanent scar.

Speaking in Henderson-Crossley’s defence, Paul Barnett said his client had expressed “deep regret” at his actions.

He said: “His recollection of events is poor as he had been consuming alcohol.

“This incident came about because his friend argued with the taxi driver, who had not been paid.

“With the consumption of alcohol, it was fertile ground for offending.”

Polmont has been sobering for him

Mr Barnett went on to tell the court that the stay in Polmont had been a sobering experience for his client and asked for a community-based disposal.

Sheriff Graham Buchanan, however, referenced the two background reports prepared on Henderson-Crossley, one of which was a psychological assessment.

He said: “The report author does not have particular confidence that he would cooperate with a community payback order.

“It hints that there are features of high risk.

‘Fearsome knife’

“He made threats at the door and went to the kitchen and took a somewhat fearsome-looking knife, slashing and lashing out with it, proceeding to cause a very nasty injury to the complainer.

“This was someone who was just looking to get his fare from Aberdeen to Inverurie.

“The whole of that to me suggests there is no question about there being an alternative to a custodial sentence – the question is how long it should be.”

Mr Barnett argued that the assault to severe injury charge did not have the aggravation of ‘danger to life’.

But Sheriff Buchanan replied: “But he was lashing out with a knife.”

Public needs to be protected

Speaking directly to the teenager, Sheriff Buchanan said: “You made threats towards the taxi driver that you would ‘slit his throat’ – then went away and came back armed with a knife, striking him on the arm.

“This caused a very nasty severe injury – there is no alternative but a custodial sentence.”

Henderson-Crossley was sent to detention for two years and placed under a supervised release order for 12 months upon his release, to “protect the public at large from harm”.

https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/wp-con ... 40x564.jpg

A deliberate pun? I mean, it's the P&J, not The Sun