A bit different from the usual scenario. And, I mean, all this happened in the middle of summer, in broad daylight, late afternoon and with other people around
Leeds taxi driver feared for his life during attack by thieves
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... es-9224859
A cab driver said he was “lucky not to be killed” after a pair of car criminals tried to steal his taxi.
Imran Shah and Raheed Shafi threatened the terrified worker before they tried to snatch the car keys.
It came just seconds after they had smashed their way into another car to steal its expensive computer system.
Shafi, 23, was handed a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court this week, but 25-year-old Shah was jailed because of a long list of motoring-related crimes on his record.
The taxi had picked the pair up in Bradford at around 5pm of July 15, 2024.
Both defendants asked to go to Leeds but were unhappy with the £25 fare, which the driver insisted up front.
They got out at Grafton Street in Woodhouse, having paid the fee, prosecutor Emily Jenkins told the court.
They walked towards Elmwood Lane where they smashed the window of a BMW and stole the £1,500 iDrive operating system.
They quickly got back into the taxi with one telling the driver: “Move, otherwise I will kill you.”
The terrified driver got out but left his keys in the car. One of the defendants climbed into the driver’s side and tried to start the Toyota Prius.
A struggle ensued between the driver and the two defendants.
Members of the public intervened and Shah and Shafi made off on foot.
The driver later said he was left very scared and “felt lucky not to be injured or killed”, Ms Jenkins said.
A Foot Asylum bag belonging to the defendants was left in the taxi which contained a £4,000 stereo they had stolen from VW Golf parked in Leeds.
Mobile phone footage taken by passers by was used to help identify the pair.
Shafi, of Silverhill Road, Bradford, has just one previous conviction for possession of drugs.
Shah, of Iqbal Court, Bradford, has previous convictions including taking a vehicle without consent, theft from a motor vehicle, going equipped to steal and conspiracy to commit theft.
Both defendants admitted two counts of theft from a vehicle, attempted theft of the taxi and assault of the driver.
A charge of attempted robbery of the taxi was not pursued.
Mitigating for Shah, Matthew Stewart said: “He accepted it was money motivated and stupid.”
He said that Shad had undiagnosed learning difficulties.
For Shafi, Olivia Fraser said he had an issue with cannabis but was in a different position to his co-accused, given that he has no relevant previous convictions.
The judge, Recorder Simon Green KC described it as a “nasty offence” and jailed for Shah for 21 months.
Shafi was given a 15-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days with probation and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.