Taxi Driver Online

Cornish Guardian

August 23, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: Youth 'deserved jail' for racial attack

A youth whose common assault on a Bangladeshi taxi driver was racially aggravated was told by Judge Paul Darlow at Truro Crown Court on Monday: "You are very lucky. You thoroughly deserve to go inside."

Instead, the judge ordered 19-year-old Martin Haynes, of Rock Villas, Rock, to pay Mohammed Haque £1,000 compensation and prosecution costs of £1,100 at £200 a month.

Haynes was also given a 51-week custodial sentence, suspended for two years, a four-month curfew, from 7pm to 7am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and a 12-month exclusion from Wadebridge.

Prosecutor Joanna Martin said last October Haynes had opened a taxi door and punched Mr Haque in the face. He struggled and had to be handcuffed by the officers who arrested him.

Interviewed, he admitted he had been very drunk at the time. Miss Martin added that Haynes had previous convictions, including one for hitting a police officer in 2003.

Defending Haynes, who pleaded guilty, Barrie van den Berg said his problem was drink-related. If given a custodial sentence he would probably lose his carpentry apprenticeship. He was ashamed of his behaviour that night.

Judge Darlow told Haynes he did not feel sorry for him but for his father, who was in court to support him.
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