Taxi Driver Online

Passenger pulled knife after failing to pay £250 London-Bristol taxi fare


A NEWLY arrived visitor to the UK turned to crime immediately by threatening a taxi driver with a knife and not paying the fare from London to Bristol, a court heard.

Kastytis Spadavicius came from Lithuania to London and arrived at Victoria coach station in the early hours of April 14, Bristol Crown Court was told.

He agreed to pay taxi driver Shahnawaz Razaq £250 for a ride to Bristol, but when he was driven to Bristol Temple Meads he failed to pay and produced a knife when challenged.

Spadavicius, 37, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon and making off without payment.

Judge Susan Evans QC remanded him in custody until May 14, to give the Crown Prosecution Service the time to clarify his convictions in Lithuania before sentence.

Robert Reid, prosecuting, said Spadavicius agreed the £250 fare but, when the taxi pulled up in Bristol, he was allowed out to collect the money and disappeared.

Mr Reid said: "The taxi driver drove around for a few moments, looking for him, and caught sight of him.

"He asked for the money and at that point the knife was produced."

Mr Reid said the scared cabbie backed off and called the police.

The cabbie then explained to another taxi driver what had happened, climbed into his car, and the pair tracked Spadavicius down to the Peugeot garage near the station.

Spadavicius was arrested and refused to talk unless he was given a cigarette.

That didn't happen and he remained silent, the court heard.

Sam Jones, defending, said though his client had later told a probation officer he had stabbed and shot people before, he no longer accepted that.

Mr Jones said it was Spadavicius' case that he carried a blade for work in Lithuania, and he had not used it as a weapon or been convicted for having it.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Passenge ... story.html

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Heathrow asap, bye bye we don't need your type here the roads are mudy enough with homegrown trash without needing you adding to it.

How thick are some drivers.

£250 job, yet not a bean upfront.

Can't say he deserved to get done, but FFS.

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IDFIMH

I agree entirely - the problem is that it does not sit well with a lot of drivers when they have to ask for money up front! I essence you/I are questioning the honesty/integrity of the person concerned..............not very nice when you think about it.

It would be more than helpful and also cost effective to the authorities if they made it a condition of entry to a Taxi/P.H that the customer paid as you do on a Bus,Train,Plane a definite fare before you go..............lots of potential problems sorted.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

You can't add anything to the thread after the above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ well said.

Bet you any money you like, he touted him off the street..................

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stressed controller!!!

Nice holiday for him with Nidge's infamous mate.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Man-jail ... story.html

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IDFIMH

This was a job carried out by the minicab office within the coach station, not a licensed taxi.

And that makes a difference?

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IDFIMH