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Thief who attacked taxi driver spared jail Thug got suspended term for snatching cabbie's takings and punching him when he gave chase
A man who stole a taxi driver’s takings after being dropped off near his village home and assaulted the driver when he gave chase has avoided jail.
Daniel Dennehy had denied charges of theft and assault, but had changed his pleas on the second day of his trial at the crown court in Leamington last month.
Following an adjournment for a pre-sentence report, Dennehy, 22, of Scowcroft Drive, Bishops Itchington, was given a three-month jail term suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay £400 compensation to his victim and £1,000 costs by Judge Robert Orme, who told him: “That was a very expensive night out.”
During the trial, prosecutor Blondelle Thompson said that in June 2011 taxi driver Kamaljit Rai was flagged down by Dennehy in Leamington town centre at just before midnight.
Dennehy asked what the fare would be back to Bishops Itchington, and was told it would be about £20 or whatever the meter showed.
He said he only had £20 on him and asked if that would be alright – and the driver told him that would be OK as long as he was paid in advance, which he did.
Dennehy chatted to the driver before dropping off; but when they got to the village, not having said exactly where he wanted to go, told Mr Rai: “That’s OK, stop here.”
He got out and, leaving the door open, walked round to the driver’s side and, as Mr Rai was about to go round to shut the door, gave him a hug and thanked him before walking away.
But he suddenly began to run, at which Mr Rai realised a bag containing his night’s takings, his driving licence and his taxi driver’s licence, had been taken from the door pocket.
Mr Rai ran after Dennehy, shouting at him to stop, which attracted the attention of people in nearby houses who came out to see what was going on.
The driver caught Dennehy and took hold of him, but was punched to the face and had to let go.
Before making off again, Dennehy threw the bag under a nearby car; and when Mr Rai recovered it he found that about £30 was missing.
One woman who had come out of her home saw Dennehy crouching down by a car, and indicated to Mr Rai to go one way while she went another way to try to block off his escape.
Although Dennehy managed to get away, other people saw him and were able to name him to the police.
At the resumed hearing Robert Hodgkinson, defending, said Dennehy was of previous good character and is in full-time employment.
Sentencing him, Judge Orme said: “Fortunately for you, you saw sense on the second day of the trial. If the case had gone on and we had heard from other witnesses, things could only have got worse for you.”
At the request of Miss Thompson, the judge imposed a restraining order prohibiting Dennehy from contacting any of the prosecution witnesses, directly or indirectly, for three years.
He also commended the Bishops Itchington witnesses for their actions and singled out the woman who had helped Mr Rai for an award of £250 from public funds.http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/l ... er-6080411
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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