Cumbrian man dressed as a jockey assaulted taxi driver and took his cab
A CARLISLE man who was dressed as a jockey when he assaulted a taxi driver and then drove off in his cab has been jailed for two-and-a-half months.
Joel Heggie, 21, was fed up after an evening of ‘where’s your horse?’ taunts when he got in John Mullholland’s taxi outside a city centre bar.
Mr Mullholland made a similar joke and Heggie, of Deer Park Road, Belah, reacted badly so Mr Mullholland kept quiet for the rest of the journey.
When they reached Deer Park Road, Heggie handed over the fare then hit Mr Mullholland in the face.
Mr Mullholland said the blow was unprovoked but Heggie claims it was the result of another comment about horses.
After the assault Mr Mullholland got out of the cab, leaving the engine running.
When Heggie came towards him Mr Mullholland ran away.
Heggie then drove off in the taxi, later leaving it parked in the city centre.
Heggie admitted charges of assault, taking a vehicle without consent and driving without insurance when he appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The incident happened on May 8.
The next day Heggie was told police were looking for him and then handed himself in to police.
John Smith, defending, said it was a serious but isolated incident.
He said that Heggie had only taken the taxi in order to search for the driver and apologise. The vehicle was not damaged and no items were stolen.
But District Judge Gerald Chalk decided the matter was so serious that Heggie had to go to prison.
He said: “The combination of offences takes this past the custody threshold.
“It was a vulnerable victim who serves the community who you assaulted.
“Then you removed his means of livelihood by taking his motor vehicle, driving while I suspect you were heavily intoxicated.”
Heggie was sentenced to 70 days and banned from driving for a year.
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