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Its always best to get your money up front on long journeys but I doubt it would have made any difference in this case.
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The Express
February 6, 2007 Tuesday
HEADLINE: Thug beat up taxi driver after dodging GBP 100 fare;
Passenger stayed silent on 82-mile trip
A FARE-DODGING thug bludgeoned and robbed a taxi driver after being driven up the M6 from England to Scotland.
The 'customer' telephoned for a private hire car from the seafront promenade at Morecambe, Lancashire, on Friday evening.
After agreeing to pay GBP 100 for the 82-mile trip to Annan, in Dumfriesshire, the man didn't say a word. He broke his silence only once, on the A75 - to give the taxi driver directions.
On arrival in Annan, the driver asked for his fare, only for his passenger to produce a large knife. He was threatened and beaten on the face and head with the heavy handle of the weapon before being ordered to empty his pockets.
After being handed GBP 100, the robber fled the Peugeot 407 taxi on foot, disappearing into a residential area of Annan.
The shocked taxi driver was left penniless. Despite his injuries, he still managed to drive himself to the local police station and raise the alarm. He was given medical treatment by officers but did not require hospital care.
Dumfries and Galloway Police sealed off Annan town centre as they searched for the man, who is described as being in his 50s with a distinctive, pock-marked face and spoke with a local, south-west Scotland accent.
A CID spokesman said it was "very important" the suspect is identified and arrested. "This man was ruthless and determined in what he was doing and put the driver through a frightening ordeal, " he added.
"It was made worse by the fact that there was no conversation whatsoever on the way up from Lancashire, which is strange for such a long trip. Although he had a south-west accent, it was not necessarily from the Annan area. He had local knowledge, but he may not be from the town.
"What is unfortunate is that, while Annan does have CCTV covering some of the town, the area where this crime occurred is not covered by the network.
"This may demonstrate detailed local knowledge or was perhaps just unfortunate for the taxi driver and ourselves as it makes identifying the suspect all the harder." A Crimestoppers reward may be offered for anyone whose identification of the suspect leads to a successful prosecution.
Dumfries and Galloway Police officers hunting the attacker, who was wearing dark clothing, want anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.
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