Taxi Driver Online

Passenger's taxi attack on female cabbie

John Anderson Routledge assaulted Angela Featherstone as she drove him home.



A passenger threatened to kill a female taxi driver before assaulting her and grabbing the steering wheel, a court heard.

John Anderson Routledge assaulted Angela Featherstone as she drove him home.

The 26-year-old sheet metal worker was ‘heavily intoxicated’ after drinking all day at a wedding, Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court was told.

After passing out in the back of the taxi, Routledge woke up confused and began attacking Mrs Featherstone.

During the terrifying 15-minute ordeal, Routledge grabbed hold of the steering wheel, almost causing the car to crash, the court heard.

He then pinned Mrs Featherstone, who was working for Macclesfield Radio Cars, to the window with his forearm before threatening to kill her unless she stopped the taxi.

Routledge admitted assault and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence.

The court heard that he had been at a wedding at the Hilltop Country House near Butley Town.

Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, reading from the victim’s witness statement, said: “When I arrived, I was told by the manager and staff that the passenger needed to go to Heywood.

“He had no top on and was swaying.

“I was concerned about his demeanour.

“I was told that he would fall asleep in the back.

“He woke up. He was agitated and upset. He shouted ‘stop the ******* car’.

“He grabbed the steering wheel and tried to pull the car over.

“I had to use all my power to regain control of the vehicle and prevent it from driving into a hedge.

“He then used his forearm to pin my neck against the window and into the seat.

“He jumped into the front and shouted ‘let me out or I will kill you’.”

The court heard that the victim called the police and that after banging on the door of a house, Routledge walked back to her car with his tie wrapped around his hands.

The statement continued: “He said: ‘I will get you, I will kill you’.

“One female driver had to stop and he jumped onto the bonnet, lying across it to stop her driving off. The whole thing lasted 15 minutes. I was shocked by the sheer force of how he grabbed me. He put my life in danger. I don’t feel I can return to work.”

Anthony Derbyshire, defending, said Routledge had no recollection of the incident.

He said: “He had spent the day at a wedding of his best friend’s sister. He doesn’t drink normally but started drinking before the ceremony. He drank cider, whiskey and coke and had wine with the meal, drinking about a bottle.

“He was heavily intoxicated.

“He says he was assaulted at the venue beforehand and had suffered a head injury, which contributed to his semi-conscious demeanour.

“The owner of the premises took action to get him in a taxi.

“Clearly, there was concern about him and the venue even offered to pay the £70 for the taxi.

“He was frightened when he woke up. He was trying to get out of the vehicle, and when in the road he was trying to flag down members of the public.

“He was extremely upset when he realised he had hurt a female taxi driver.”

Routledge, of Peel Lane, Heywood, Manchester, will be sentenced on September 19.

The Hilltop Country House declined to comment.

source: http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/n ... ie-5793054

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

Hardly surprising really. They served the alcohol all day without a thought of the consequences and then put him in a taxi with a female driver, not that that makes a difference, again without any thought of the consequences. They couldn't wait to get rid of him and didn't care what trouble he may be to the driver, typical imo.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

The bottom line being......Country House/Police/Taxi Marshals attempting to chuck them into a cab - if they (the customer) are NOT dressed properly!!!! Or looking normal............drive awayyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Unfortunately £70 was a tempter!!

He does not strike me as a person who would be FRIGHTENED..........more like a PILL popper.

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

Wedding guest spared jail following attack on female taxi driver


John Anderson Routledge, 26, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, for the attack on Angela Featherstone, who works for Macclesfield Radio Cars

A wedding guest who attacked and threatened to kill a female taxi driver as she drove him home has been spared jail.

John Anderson Routledge, 26, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, for the attack on Angela Featherstone, who works for Macclesfield Radio Cars.

Routledge had pinned the driver to her windscreen after waking up in the cab, the court heard.

He then threatened to kill her during a terrifying 15-minute ordeal.

An earlier hearing was told that the sheet metal worker Routledge was topless and heavily intoxicated after drinking at his best friend’s sister’s wedding at Hill Top Country house near Butley Town.

That hearing had heard how Routledge had attacked the driver on Bonis Hall Lane, Macclesfield, after passing out in the back of the taxi.

The court was told that the owner of the wedding venue had put him in a taxi and that Routledge had become frightened after waking up.

During the attack he also grabbed hold of the steering wheel almost causing the taxi to crash, before getting out of the cab and jumping on the bonnet of a passing car.

At one point he shouted “let me out or I will kill you”.

Routledge, of Peel Lane, Heywood, admitted assault and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence at an earlier hearing at the court at Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court.

The hearing was told by Routledge’s defence barrister that he had been drinking all day, and was ‘heavily intoxicated’ and frightened when he had woken up.

Anthony Derbyshire, defending, had told the court that Routledge had no recollection of the incident.

He said: “He says he was assaulted at the venue beforehand and had suffered a head injury which contributed to his semi-conscious demeanour.

“He was trying to get out of the vehicle, and when in the road was trying to flag down members of the public.”

Routledge was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and made to attend an alcohol program.

http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/n ... ng-6088239

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

Sadly the lady driver will remember it for a very long time.

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IDFIMH