Taxi Driver Online

Youth accused of taxi driver attack

A TEENAGER accused of hitting a taxi driver in the face with a brick has appeared in court.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told by magistrates at Swindon Youth Court that the crime was so grave he would have to appear before the crown court.

Abdullah Jan, 32, had to have surgery on broken cheek bones and was almost blinded in the attack in June when he was repeatedly hit in the face through his driver side window.

The teenager will enter his plea to the charge of grievous bodily harm with intent at Swindon Crown Court on January 4.

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IDFIMH

19 Feb 2008

Cabbie 'hit with brick by boy'

A TAXI driver from Swindon told a jury how a teenage passenger
smashed a brick into his face in a late-night attack.

Abdullah Jan said the 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal
reasons, left him with a fractured cheek bone.

Mr Jan said the boy had told him he did not have money for the ride as
they approached their destination so he took him back to the pick-up point.

Swindon Crown Court heard that before the assault took place the boy
told a friend he was going to hit a taxi driver with a brick.

The boy denies grievous bodily harm with intent claiming he was acting in
self-defence.

Mr Jan told the jury of seven men and five women how he picked up the
boy close to the Whitehouse Bridge after midnight on May 27. He said the
boy, who had a bag over his shoulder, asked to go to Wroughton but as
they crossed the motorway bridge, he said he needed the toilet and asked
to stop at a pub.

The driver told the court that made him suspicious so he asked for the
boy's mobile phone as security. When he refused the driver said he was
taking him to the police station in Swindon.

But when he got back into town Mr Jan said he realised it was busy and
going to the police would take too long.

Instead he dropped the boy at the corner of Manchester Road and
Corporation Street, near where he picked him up.

He said he got out and opened the rear door before getting back into the
driver's seat. "I went to move the car and I felt a very bad hit on my
left-hand side," Mr Jan said.

With blood pouring from his head, he said, he got out of the car and
chased the youth, who lashed out a few more times with the bag, before
grabbing hold of Mr Jan.

Mr Jan said he realised there was something hard in the bag and was
helped by passers-by, who called the police and ambulance.

As he walked back to the cab, he said, the boy tried to throw the bag into
a building site but didn't get it over the wall.

At hospital Mr Jan was found to have a depressed fracture of the cheek
bone.

Andrew Hobson, defending, suggested the driver was angry at losing the
fare from his client and was not in the cab when he was struck.

The case continues.

Source: Swindon Advertiser
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I can not stress how much not to chase them.
Imagine what could have happened if he had been carrying a sharp weapon when he caught him.