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12:00 - 31 August 2004
A taxi driver's son has been jailed for four years after he tried to rob his father's friend of his takings. The judge who sentenced Dannie Robinson said the jail term she handed down should be a deterrent to others - but worried drivers are considering boycotting the most dangerous parts of the city. REBECCA SHERDLEY and GUY WOODFORD report
Cabbie Paul Green watched in shock as his taxi roared off into the distance while he lay in the street.
What had seemed like a routine fare had gone horribly wrong in a matter of seconds.
A caller had ordered a taxi from Central Cabs in Bulwell. He used the name 'Michael' and asked to be picked up from Titchfield Terrace in Hucknall on Sunday, February 15, shortly before 1am.
Mr Green picked up the man in his brown T-reg Vauxhall Vectra, along with Dannie Robinson and Clint Ford.
Moments later Robinson, sitting in the back seat, had grabbed Mr Green's arms and made him believe he had a knife.
After trying to steal the day's takings, the trio bundled Mr Green out onto the street before speeding off in his car.
What made matters worse for the victim - although he didn't realise it at the time - was that one of the attackers was the son of a fellow cabbie and friend of his.
Last week at Nottingham Crown Court Robinson, 22, of Laburnum Grove, Hucknall, was sentenced to four years in jail after pleading guilty to attempted robbery and taking a vehicle without consent.
His co-accused, Clint Ford, 19, of Carlingford Road, Hucknall, had denied attempted robbery and taking a vehicle without consent.
He was convicted on both charges after a trial in July and last week was sent to youth custody for four years. The third defendant has not appeared in court.
Sentencing Robinson and Ford, Judge Alison Hampton told them it was an atrocious offence.
She said: "Those who provide a public service by operating taxis late at night need to know the courts will attempt to protect them from this sort of violence and punish severely those who perpetrate these crimes against them."
The court was told Robinson had previous convictions, starting from October 1998, for taking a vehicle without consent, using threatening and abusive words, assault and burglary.
During Ford's trial, Robinson had given evidence for the defence, taking the blame for the attempted robbery.
Jonathan Dee, defending Robinson, said: "He was under the influence of heroin and needed money for heroin. His own father is a taxi driver and knew Mr Green.
"It is an offence that happened on the spur of the moment.
"Mr Robinson is thoroughly ashamed of what he has done."
Martin Elwick, mitigating for Ford, told the court his client had been just 18 years old at the time of the incident. "This was not a planned robbery, the three were not in it together.
"The one who wanted the taxi saw the other two and picked them up.
"They all embarked on the enterprise.
"Of course, it was a frightening experience for the taxi driver. Fortunately, no lasting injury was suffered."
The judge said: "This was a thoroughly nasty offence, even if I accept it was not pre-planned.
"You made the taxi driver think you were armed.
"The sentence needs to be of length to deter others."
The attack on Mr Green and other drivers means some cabbies may now refuse to pick up customers in certain parts of the city.
Mark Cartledge, chairman of the Nottingham Taxi Driver & Private Hire Association, said drivers were reluctant to take unnecessary risks.
He explained: "A similar policy has worked well in Peterborough. Drivers refused to go to parts of the city after 7pm and there has been a notable fall in attacks," he said.
"It's the ultimate sanction but it can be done as drivers are self-employed. If the public continue to treat us with disdain then it's something we may have to do.
"I am getting more and more phone calls about attacks on drivers. There is now a shortage of taxi drivers, like there is a shortage of bus drivers. People don't want the hassle and risk to health associated with the job."
Although praising Judge Hampton for the four-year sentence given to Robinson and Ford, Mr Cartledge said he still believed it could have been tougher.
He said: "If a nurse at the QMC was badly assaulted by a patient or hospital visitor there would be outrage and the likelihood of an extremely long sentence for the person responsible.
"Why is it usually deemed less of a crime to attack a taxi driver?"
For today's taxi and private hire car drivers, the possibility of being attacked by a customer is always on their minds.
Glenn Brothwell, 41, who works for Central cabs, has been a private hire driver for nearly five years.
"I know Paul Green, the cabbie who was attacked. He's a lovely guy.
"The man who attacked him may have got four years' jail, which sounds quite good, but Paul will never work another night shift. He used to love driving at that time of the day.
"I only work days. You can get into all sorts of trouble at night with drunken passengers or customers carrying knives or other weapons.
"I don't think there are necessarily more attacks on drivers but you are sometimes very, very wary of who is in the back of your car."
Raj Malhotra, 41, has been a private hire car driver for nearly 11 years and currently works for DG Cars in Sherwood.
He said: "It's very dangerous out there for drivers. Day in day out they are being threatened and abused.
"About two or three months ago a man pulled a gun on me when I dropped him off at Mapperley Park. The fare was only £7 but he said he was part of a gang and if I didn't do what he said he'd shoot me.
"I could tell by his body language that he wasn't really going to use the gun. I told him to put it away and get out of my cab which he did.
"The other month one of our drivers was slashed in the face with a knife because he wouldn't let a customer smoke dope in his car.
"A lot of drivers are giving up or thinking of giving up - me included. It's not just about the violence. Any tom, dick or harry can get a taxi or private hire car licence now."
Mr Green, who has since switched taxi firms, was unavailable for comment.
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