An American who failed to pay for a taxi and was then confronted by the cabbie at Belfast International Airport claimed he fled in a hire car because he thought he was being hi-jacked. The man, who has been working in Northern Ireland, used his hire car to ram the taxi, which was blocking him in, out of the way at Belfast International Airport. Sean Davis (25), whose address was only given as Plymouth Road, New Jersey, had hailed a taxi from the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Antrim town to the airport but when the cab took him to the Maldron Hotel at the airport, the accused said he was going to get the fare. Instead, he went to a hire car he had been using since being in Northern Ireland for work-related training, and then made off. Davis appeared in the dock from custody at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to: dangerous driving at Airport Road, Antrim; driving whilst unfit through drink/drugs; failing to stop, remain and report an accident; and making off without paying a taxi fare. A prosecutor said the taxi driver knew Davis had been drinking and after seeing him attempting to leave he was concerned about him taking to the road in such a state and he also wanted his fare. The prosecutor said the taxi driver drove within three or four feet of the hire car to prevent it from leaving but Davis then reversed his car into the cab and revved his engine to push back the taxi before he escaped. Police later found the hire car back at the Holiday Inn with the engine still running, and Davis in a room.
Defence barrister Michael Smith claimed Davis was so drunk that after he went to get money for the fare in the hire car he did not recognise the taxi driver who had come to the side of the vehicle. Mr Smith added: “Because of his intoxicated state he didn’t recognise the taxi driver. He panicked and thought he was being hijacked and tried to get away from this person.” The prosecutor said Davis is an American citizen and has been staying at the Holiday Inn in Antrim in relation to work-related training and is due to return home later in February. At 12.50am on Sunday, he was collected from his hotel and taken to Belfast International Airport and taxi driver noted his passenger smelt of intoxicating liquour.
Read more at:
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/ ... -1-7809196
Login
Register
FAQ
