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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:23 pm 
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Taxi driver suffers horrific injuries after attack by drunk thug

A taxi driver from Cambridge suffered fractures to his nose, cheekbone and eye socket after he was dragged from his cab and viciously attacked by a drunk customer, a court heard.

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Martin Harding, after he suffered horrific injuries at the hands of Alexander Nixon

Martin Harding, 47, was left spitting blood in a collapsed heap on the floor following a minor dispute over payment – as his attacker walked down Campkin Road, King’s Hedges, without a backward glance.

Alexander Nixon, a 25-year-old construction worker and an assistant football coach for Fulbourn Falcons, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after admitting grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, Mr Harding, of Panther Taxis, said: “I am glad it’s all over now – it’s been a long time coming. I hope Mr Nixon will learn from this.”

The attack took place on March 13 last year after Nixon, of Norfolk Street, had been on a night out with friends in the city centre.

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Alexander Nixon

Mr Harding dropped the men off in Campkin Road but Nixon requested to be taken on to the Man on the Moon pub in Norfolk Street. When Mr Harding asked for £20 upfront, Nixon lost his temper and began punching his victim in the head before getting out of the passenger seat and dragging him out of the cab.

He then shouted and swore at Mr Harding and kicked him in the head.

Blood was spattered up the taxi door and Nixon had blood stains on his shirt.

Recorder Andrew Hurst, sentencing, said: “The consequences of this assault were so severe that your victim had no recollection of the night and had to rely on others to tell him what happened.

“His wife described what she saw when she went to Addenbrooke’s as absolutely shocking.

“The incident has had a profound affect on the victim’s work, family and social life.

“Many people have suffered because of your quick temper. You have let yourself down as you well know.”

The court heard that a witness, woken by the sound of shouting, saw Mr Harding collapse after staggering to get up.

One police officer said he was unable to determine Mr Harding’s ethnicity due to the extent of the injuries.

The defendant initially admitted to a scuffle outside the cab, he later accepted he had punched the victim a couple of times.

Nixon has two previous convictions for aggravated bodily harm and grievous bodily harm, dating back to 2004 and 2006.

Mike McGhee, mitigating, said: “The defendant deeply regrets his actions.

“He left school aged 16 with two GCSEs and had tried to build a decent law abiding life from nothing.”

The victim’s wife, Helen Harding, said: “I hope no other family has to go through the experience we have had to go through.”

Andy [edited by admin], a manager for Panther Taxis, said there have been about five attacks on their drivers over the last few years.

The 55-year-old said: “Taxi drivers are out there alone at night and it can be daunting. They have always been concerned about this but they are becoming more so in recent years.

“We have had a few leave because they feel vulnerable.”

source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Ta ... 082012.htm

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:32 pm 
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Quote:
Alexander Nixon, a 25-year-old construction worker and an assistant football coach for Fulbourn Falcons, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after admitting grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing.


I think that's a light touch considering he has previous

Quote:
Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, Mr Harding, of Panther Taxis, said: “I am glad it’s all over now – it’s been a long time coming. I hope Mr Nixon will learn from this.”


Lets hope he does but he never learnt anything previously

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:52 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
Mike McGhee, mitigating, said: “The defendant deeply regrets his actions.

The scumbag regrets getting caught, f*** all else. :sad:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:32 pm 
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Neanderthal man
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Looks similar!


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:44 pm 
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Another one for Leroy, he's getting a bit thin on the grounds.


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:12 am 
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Taxi driver badly beaten by thug has 'no hard feelings' towards attacker

A taxi driver who suffered horrendous facial injuries in a vicious attack by a drunk customer has said he would “have a cup of tea” with his attacker to try and understand why he did it.

Martin Harding was left spitting blood in a heap on the floor in Campkin Road, King’s Hedges, when a minor dispute over payment in March last year escalated.

But the 47-year-old said he had no bad feelings towards his attacker, 25-year-old Alexander Nixon, of Norfolk Street, who was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting grievous bodily harm.

Mr Harding, who suffered fractures to his nose, cheekbone and eye, said: “I would sit down and have a cup of tea with him and try to understand why he did it.

“I hope he never does this to anyone else and that he comes out of prison with better moral standards.”

The Cambridge taxi driver, who also works as a fireman, added: “I have no recollection of the attack, afterwards I was like a child and I felt no emotion.

“Last summer was a daze, it was very scary and I was concerned I would have to give up my work as a firefighter for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.”

Mr Harding went back to driving his taxi six months after the attack.

He said: “I felt very nervous and didn’t want to pick up groups of men.

“Given the choice I would rather not do it but I don’t have a choice, we live in an expensive city.”

Mr Harding’s wife, Helen, said: “When I saw him after the attack, he was almost unrecognisable, his head and face were so swollen.

“I still feel very vulnerable and worry every time a family member leaves the house.”

Mr Harding has been a fireman for 20 years and has received regional and national awards for his volunteer work with the Fire Brigades Union.

Mr Harding thanked DCI Nicola Lamport and his fire service colleagues, especially Tony Burton and Kevin Napier, for their support.

He added: “I would also like to thank my family and my wife, she has been my backbone.

“I would also like to remind people that taxi drivers are just the same as any other person and are just doing their job.”

:: It was said in court that Alexander Nixon was an assistant football coach for Fulbourn Falcons. However, the club and Cambridgeshire FA have since said they have no record and no knowledge of Nixon having any involvement with Fulbourn Falcons.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Id ... 082012.htm

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:15 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
A taxi driver who suffered horrendous facial injuries in a vicious attack by a drunk customer has said he would “have a cup of tea” with his attacker to try and understand why he did it.

Clearly this cabby is a better man than me, because that thug is the last person I would share a cup of tea with, unless it was one of those teas those naughty Russians give to folks they don't like.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:37 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
Clearly this cabby is a better man than me, because that thug is the last person I would share a cup of tea with, unless it was one of those teas those naughty Russians give to folks they don't like.



Very christian of the chap, either that or the gentleman who's been jailed has friends :shock:

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:49 am 
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captain cab wrote:
Sussex wrote:
Clearly this cabby is a better man than me, because that thug is the last person I would share a cup of tea with, unless it was one of those teas those naughty Russians give to folks they don't like.



Very christian of the chap, either that or the gentleman who's been jailed has friends :shock:



One person who attacks a vulnerable Taxi Driver going about his job won't have friends.


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