Passenger punched in cabbie stand-off11:04am Monday 18th June 2012A taxi journey from Manchester to Clayton-le-Moors ended in a stand-off between the driver and passenger over payment.
Blackburn magistrates heard Paul John Rivas eventually broke the deadlock by assaulting the driver inside Clayton-le-Moors Post Office.
Colleen Dickinson-Jones, defending, said her client had reacted out of frustration, rather than malice, and would have paid the fare if the driver’s behaviour had not prevented him from doing so.
Rivas, 42, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to assaulting Alema Kahsay. He was made subject to a 7pm to 7am curfew for eight weeks, and ordered to pay £70 compensation for the taxi fare, £100 for the injuries suffered by the driver, and £85 costs.
Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the taxi collected Rivas from the accident and emergency department at North Manchester Hospital.
He said he would pay at the conclusion of the journey, and the driver took his mobile phone and passport as security.
She said Rivas was told to get some money when they arrived at the post office and his property would be returned to him. Rivas demanded the return of his property.
After they had been in the office for about five minutes, Rivas punched the driver, and then grabbed him round the neck.
During the fight that followed Rivas kicked the other man on the leg.
Miss Dickinson-Jones said it was arranged that no money would be exchanged until Rivas cashed his Giro at Clayton-le-Moors Post Office.
“He was saying he needed his identification documents to get the money, but the driver refused to hand them over,” said Miss Dickinson-Jones.
Source; http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... stand_off/