Man jailed after attacking city taxi driver
A 21-YEAR-OLD "went berserk" and unleashed a torrent of racist abuse and violence at a cabbie who would not drive him to Brockworth for free, a court heard.
Jamie Howe broke taxi driver Rashid Farooq's two-way radio and snatched his iPhone during the intimidating tirade, said prosecutor Julian Kesner.
Jailing Howe for 10 months, Recorder Tracey Lloyd-Nesling said: "This was a drunken, violent albeit short attack on a taxi driver in the early hours of the morning.
"By the nature of their employment taxi drivers are vulnerable to this sort of incident.
"I am of the opinion that this matter is so serious that it merits an immediate custodial sentence."
Howe, of Golden Close, Tuffley, admitted affray, theft of the iPhone and racially aggravated criminal damage to the CB radio in the cab.
The prosecutor told the court it was 2am when Howe summoned a taxi to pick him up from an address in Quedgeley and take him to his girlfriend's home in Brockworth.
However, Howe then told the cabbie he had no money to pay the fare.
"He was understandably not prepared to take the defendant for nothing," said Mr Kesner.
"The defendant then went berserk.
Angry
"He was really angry, red in the face, and he demanded Mr Farooq's money, saying 'Give me your money'.
"You don't know me. I'm a bad man."
Mr Kesner said Howe then started swinging punches at Mr Farooq, connecting with his face and causing soreness to his jaw.
Mr Farooq got on his radio and shouted "help police" to his control room.
Mr Farooq got back into his cab and drove away to avoid further violence, said Mr Kesner.
Jason Coulter, defending, said Howe's drinking was at the root of the offences.
The attack occurred in the early hours of September 4 last year.
source:
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/
Login
Register
FAQ
