Taxi Driver Online

25 Feb 2008

Taxi Driver Blasts Cut In Sentence

A Taxi driver punched in the face by a passenger during a late-night
incident in Port Talbot has blasted a court's decision to cut his attacker's
jail sentence.Veteran cabbie Bob Pickett suffered cuts inside and outside
his mouth when 21-year-old Daryl Borsden landed a single blow.

Borsden, who had been drinking, was jailed for 21 weeks at Swansea
Crown Court earlier this month after admitting assaulting the taxi driver
and causing him actual bodily harm.

Now the sentence has been reduced to three months by judges at
London's Court of Appeal, meaning Borsden, of Chrome Avenue, is likely
to be out by the end of next month.

An angry Mr Pickett, chairman of the Neath and Port Talbot Taxi
Proprietors Association, said: "As far as I am concerned this decision
sends out the wrong message altogether.

"The situation is getting worse out there.

"It's the same in every town and I don't think we are getting the full
backing of the law. I am not very happy at all."

The sentence was reduced to three months, following an appeal by
Borsden's barrister Craig Jones.

Giving the court's judgment, Judge David Paget QC, who sat with Lord
Justice Gage and Lord Justice Hughes, told how Borsden had attacked Mr
Pickett as he returned from a night out in the town last February.

Borsden had been drinking and, as he attempted to pay, he dropped the
coins and began fumbling for them in the back of the car.

The driver told Borsden and his companion he needed to be elsewhere
and that they had to get out of the car, which they did, but, angry at their
treatment, left the doors open.

Forced to get out to close the doors, the taxi driver said: "Nice job boys, I
haven't seen that one before", at which point Borsden launched himself at
the unsuspecting victim. He and his friend then ran off.

Despite initially denying the offence, Borsden eventually pleaded guilty.

Cutting the sentence, Judge Paget said the Crown Court judge had simply
imposed a term that was too high.

"The justice of this case would have been met with a starting point of four
months, reduced for the plea of guilty to one of three months," he said.

But Mr Pickett said: "The law and justice got divorced several years ago
and there's no sign of it altering."

Association secretary Bob Hoyles added: "It was a serious offence and all
he's had is a slap on the wrist.

"When are the courts going to protect the taxi drivers?"

Source: South Wales Evening Post
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