Taxi Driver Online

Middlesbrough teenager locked up for knife point attempted robbery

Daniel James Blackburn, of Pallister Avenue, Brambles Farm, sent to young offenders' institution for string of offences

A teenager has been locked up after holding a taxi driver at knifepoint during an attempted robbery.

Daniel James Blackburn put the knife to the taxi driver’s shoulder before demanding money.

The 19-year-old only gave up when he was questioned about what he was doing by one of his friends who had been in the vehicle before the incident happened.

Blackburn appeared at Teesside Crown Court today in connection with the attempted robbery and having a bladed article in a public place.

He also appeared alongside 18-year-old Liam Christopher Harper for separate offences of burglary and two attempted burglaries.

Blackburn, of Pallister Avenue, Brambles Farm, was sent to a young offenders’ institution up for a total of two-and-a-half-years.

Harper, who was also sentenced for a theft and having a bladed article in a public place, was also locked up for a period 12 months.

The court heard that on June 12 this year, Blackburn and two friends had got a taxi from an address in Bankfields to Pallister Avenue in Middlesbrough.

During the course of that journey, the front-seat passenger gave the driver £5 for the £4.60 journey - telling him to keep the chance.

But when the car came to a stop and the two other passengers got of the car, Blackburn proceeded to put a knife to the driver’s shoulder and demanded his money.

“The driver then grabbed the knife and felt he was cut by it,” said prosecutor Rachel Masters.

“The defendant continued to repeat ‘give me your money’ and the driver then felt a sharp [edited by admin] in his shoulder blade.”

It was only when one of the other passengers came back to the car and said ‘what are you doing’ that Blackburn left the car.

The police were then called and the teenager was later arrested.

While on police bail for this offence, Blackburn and Harper committed a burglary and two attempted burglaries at premises on Marshall Avenue on July 1.

They could be seen on CCTV trying to gain entry to the Hub Community Centre and a former tattoo studio before gaining access to the Ultimate Tanning Salon and taking a till.

Later on that day, Harper, of Moorcock Close, Middlesbrough, also went on to steal from Sainbury’s in Netherfields before threatening to stab a security guard to had chased him out of the store.

Both defendants were later arrested and admitted having taken drink and drugs.

Rachel Dyson, defending Blackburn, said: “He has demonstrated some victim awareness and remorse.

“He was also totally frank with police officers.”

Gary Wood, defending Harper, added: “The defendant feels he should be punished for what he did.”

He added the teenager had taken a “cocktail of substances” including cocaine, alcohol, sleeping tablets and Mcat before committing the offences.

Locking up the pair, the judge, Recorder Christopher Knox, ordered the pair to pay a victim surcharge of £120 each.

He went on to issue a warning of the seriousness of the offences and added that when a knife is involved in any crime it can easily lead to fatal injury.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... fe-7623563

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

How the hell are they going to that when they're locked up?? Take it out of their prison spending money at 50p a week?