played for Romulus FCA semi professional footballer who made a bungled bid to rob a taxi driver at knife point in Birmingham has been jailed.
The victim managed to drive away from his attacker after he had been pursued by him around the vehicle.
But instead of making himself scarce Ricardo Dudley hung around in the area and after a chase across gardens was tasered by police.
Dudley, 19, of Tyburn Road, Erdington, who had previously admitted attempted robbery and have a bladed article, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution.
On May 5 this year Dudley and two others were picked up by the driver outside the Grosvenor Casino in Hill Street.
A price of £15 was paid up front and the defendant’s friends were dropped off as they headed towards Erdington.
When they arrived at Tunbridge Road Dudley had asked the driver if there was anything more to pay but then “out of nowhere” produced a flick knife and demanded money.
“The taxi driver immediately feared for his life.
Dudley then brought the knife closer to his body which frightened him even more.
He reacted instinctively and tried to push his hand with the knife out of the way, “ said Philip Brunt, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court.
The defendant then made a “sharp movement” towards the victim who feared he was going to stab him.
The taxi driver then got out of his vehicle shouting for help.
When Dudley moved to the back of the car the driver moved to the front and the defendant then started throwing items out of the car.
The victim then got into the vehicle, drove up the road, phoned the police and then waited about five or six minutes.
He then drove back hoping to find some of his property but saw Dudley who was crouched by another vehicle.
The driver then went back up the road and when police arrived officers pursued him across a number of gardens.
When he emerged on the road he walked towards one of the officer before trying to tun off again but was tasered and injured himself as he fell.
Mr Brunt said Dudley later claimed he had been just out jogging and had even denied the offences after being told his DNA had been found on the knife.
In passing sentence Judge Patrick Thomas QC said: “This was a serious offence. Taxi drivers are out there on the streets alone at night and highly vulnerable.”
Rachel Pennington defending said: “He is a young man who has never been in significant trouble with the police before. He was tasered by the police having attempted to make an immature get away from the scene.
“He had a promising future a head of him as a semi professional football player.”
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