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Man gouged Cumbrian taxi driver's eyes in row over fareA thug gouged a taxi driver’s eyes after refusing to pay the full cab fare.
Paul Tallantire, 53, also issued a chilling threat as he plunged his fingers into cabbie David Burnison’s eye sockets, declaring: “I’ll make sure you never drive another taxi again.”
The terrifying attack, during which the driver feared for his sight, happened in Workington after a dispute over fare money turned nasty.
The judge at Carlisle Crown Court, Recorder Kevin Grice, said: “What followed was an act of quite uncalled-for violence.”
Tallantire, of Hunters Drive, Seaton, Workington, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.
Brendan Burke, prosecuting, said the attack happened at about 1.30am on May 10 last year.
He told the court Tallantire and his partner got into Mr Burnison’s taxi and asked to be taken to Seaton.
There were discussions about where it would be in Seaton and the driver told them it would cost £7.
“The defendant objected to that and said it would be £5,” Mr Burke told the court. “The taxi driver said it would be £7.
“The defendant pulled out a pile of coins and put them in the taxi driver’s hands. The taxi driver counted it and it came to less than £5.
“He told them he wasn’t going to that address for less than £5 and held it up, offering it back.”
Mr Burke said Mr Burnison asked the couple to leave the taxi. Tallentire’s partner told him to pick up the money and leave. He got out but then returned to the back of the cab where he issued a threat.
Mr Burke told the court: “He grabbed the complainant’s head and plunged his fingers into both eye sockets.”
Tallantire was said to be “digging them right in”. Mr Burnison was “thinking the fingers were going to go right behind the eyeballs”, added Mr Burke.
“He was crying out in pain.”
Mr Burnison tried to get Tallantire’s arms off him but he continued with the attack. The court heard Tallantire’s partner tried to “pacify” him without success.
“The taxi driver at that point thought his eyes were going to be removed,” said Mr Burke. “He couldn’t think of any time in his life when he had been more scared.”
When Tallantire did get out, the cabbie contacted police.
The court heard he had blurred vision and was taken to hospital, where medics found haemorrhages and bruising.
Tallantire, a joiner, told police the cabbie attacked him.
David Birrel, representing Tallantire, said he had in other walks of life “shown himself to be responsible and mature”.
The court heard Mr Burnison had since died of natural causes, unrelated to the attack.
Recorder Grice said it had been an “unprovoked attack on a man simply doing his job”.
He told Tallantire: “He feared for his eyesight. He felt as if your fingers might go behind his eyeballs.”
The judge added that he accepted that Tallantire was remorseful.
Tallantire must abide by a three-month 9pm until 6.30am curfew and pay £1,500 in costs.
source: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.1199861
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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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