Taxi driver abandoned vehicle after being abused and punched...only to see attacker drive off in it Steven Glyn Lewis, of Heol Hyfryd in Gwersyllt, was jailed for six months for racially aggravated assault and taking the vehicle without consent
A man who racially abused and punched a taxi driver as he drove along also took his victim’s vehicle when it was abandoned by the terrified driver.
Steven Glyn Lewis, 46, of Heol Hyfryd in Gwersyllt near Wrexham, was jailed for six months for racially aggravated assault and taking the vehicle without consent at Mold Crown Court today.
He denied the offences but was convicted by a jury.
Judge David Hale said taxi drivers working late at night were vulnerable, particularly when they were taking extremely drunk people home.
The court heard the defendant exhibited racist conduct, started to argue with the taxi driver, and then hit him even though he was driving along.
“He was so frightened he abandoned his taxi,” the judge said.
“You took the opportunity when you were very drunk of driving it a mile or so nearer your home.”
Judge Hale said it was in the public interest to make it clear that racially aggravated assaults on taxi drivers resulted in prison.
“There is no exception in your case,” the judge told him.
Lewis had a history of occasionally getting so drunk that he committed offences, but the judge said he accepted that he was a hardworking man.
Lewis was cleared of the theft of takings from the taxi.
Prosecutor Anna Pope told how the victim picked up the defendant and a female in Wrexham at 5.20am in July last year.
He dropped the female off in Llay and was taking the defendant home when he started shouting that he hated foreigners, swore at him aggressively and ended up punching him.
The driver told him that his mother was Welsh, but Lewis accused him of lying and continued to strike him.
The victim stopped the vehicle and got out, and saw the defendant get into the driving seat and drive off.
The victim had pain in his right eye, his head and his neck, and his T-shirt was torn.
Interviewed, Lewis said that he had been drinking but claimed he had been acting in self-defence.
He denied using racist language but, in his police interview, spoke of “people coming over here and taking everything” and “too many of them over here”.
Henry Hills, defending, said the most redeeming feature about his client was that he was a very hard worker.
The offences were clearly alcohol-fuelled and he had expressed sorrow for his misbehaviour.
“This was loutish and wholly inappropriate behaviour,” said Mr Hills.
The court heard Lewis had racist attitudes that needed to be addressed.
“That has been exposed now,” said Mr Hills.
He suggested a suspended sentence, but Judge Hale said that was not appropriate.
The judge said vulnerable taxi drivers had to be protected when they were taking members of the public home who were “out of their skull”.
source:
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w ... rt-9942172
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FAQ
, i would either kick the crap out of someone & lose my badge, or get kicked to crap off someone & be off work