Taxi Driver Online

Teen attacked taxi with hammer after refusing to pay £7 fare



A teenager set about a taxi with a hammer, causing £1,000 damage, after refusing to pay his fare.

Jordan Allen took a cab journey in Leicester, costing seven pounds, and got out in Maynard Road, Highfields.

He told the driver: “I live across the road, I’ll bring you the money.”

Leicester Crown Court was told Allen, then aged 19, carried on walking into Vulcan Road, and when he reached Mount Street, the taxi driver who followed in his vehicle asked for the fare.

Hal Ewing, prosecuting, said: “The defendant produced a hammer from under his jacket.

“He approached with an angry scowl and hit the car bonnet causing a dent.

“He then swung the hammer through the driver’s open window.

“The driver grabbed it and pulled it out of the defendant’s hand.”

Shocked onlookers also witnessed the incident.

The victim later told the police: “It’s my own car and I use it to make money for my family and children.”

When arrested, Allen, of Mount Road, Spinney Hills, claimed the driver followed him revving his engine and Allen produced the hammer.

Mr Ewing told the court: “He said he’d hit the bonnet twice and the driver had then jumped out and took the hammer off him.”

The court heard that Allen, now 20, has previous convictions for three battery offences.

Sentencing Allen over video link with Glen Parva Young Offenders Institution, where Allen was being held in custody, Judge Nicolas Dean QC said: “I remanded you into custody for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.


“I thought it might be necessary to send you to prison and it struck me that a period in Glen Parva would teach you how unpleasant custody is.

“I hope you’ve learnt that you don’t want to go back there.”

Allen replied: “I have.”

Judge Dean said: “You caused damage to a taxi when the driver was doing no more than trying to get the fare from you.”

Allen was sentenced to a 12 month community order, with supervision, and a requirement to attend a thinking skills programme.

He also was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work.

Defence counsel, Rebecca Herbert, said there was no objection to the judge following the recommendation in the pre-sentence report, which proposed the community order.


Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Teen- ... z3TFjhxifs

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