Teenager robbed taxi driver who picked him up from all-night party
A teenager robbed a taxi driver after being picked up from an all-night party which breached coronavirus restrictions.
Lucien Marshall, 19, was in a taxi along with Joshua Saunders, 22, at around 6.30am on the morning of April 11, 2021. The driver picked them both up from Cromwell Road in Newport after they had attended a gathering.
Upon entering the car, Marshall, of of Holst Close, Newport, and Saunders, of Cardiff Road, Newport, were told by the driver that the fare for their journey would be £4.50. When one of them produced a note to cover this amount, the driver provided them with change from a money bag located in the front of the car.
As the vehicle approached a roundabout near Lliswerry Road in Newport the driver was asked to stop. When he did so, Saunders got out of the vehicle and then opened the front door before grabbing the money bag and running away.
Marshall then opened the driver’s door and pulled him from the car, causing the driver to fall onto the pavement. Cardiff Crown Court heard that the victim described how a beer bottle was raised by Marshall “in order to attack him” and that he heard a voice shout “grab the keys”.
CCTV footage shown to the court then showed both defendants - along with an unidentified male - running away from the taxi. The court heard that the victim has been left "frightened and anxious" by the ordeal and even concerned about his ability to carry out his role as a taxi driver.
In a separate incident, on October 29, 2021, when Marshall was on police bail for the above offence, he was invited back to a woman’s house after a night of drinking in Newport.
Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said that at a certain point the woman in question “heard the sound of an engine starting” and then realised that her car - a Fiat 500 - was not in its space and her keys had been taken. The court heard that Marshall had been given the keys to drive to a shop to buy alcohol, but the alarm was raised later the same morning when the car was not returned.
The following morning, a couple in another vehicle saw the Fiat 500 being driven at speed and with one of the wheels exposed on Corporation Road in Newport. They could also “see sparks coming from the vehicle” and saw it “start to lose control” as it approached a roundabout.
Police were called and an officer witnessed the Fiat 500 approaching a roundabout at Nash Road in Newport. Other officers were notified and the car was found abandoned in the road soon after.
Marshall was then seen by officers in a nearby park and a short foot race ensued before he was caught and arrested. He admitted that he had been drinking at a party and a roadside breath test was carried out which returned a positive result. As he was arrested he told an officer “yeah, whatever mate”, then later in custody he provided an incomplete specimen.
At a previous hearing, Marshall pleaded guilty to robbery for the earlier offence and pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a licence, driving while uninsured and failing to provide a specimen with regards to the second incident.
Saunders pleaded guilty to theft with regards to the taking of the money bag from the taxi.
In mitigation, Gareth Williams, on behalf of Marshall, said his client is “19 years of age and very immature”. He told the judge that Marshall “has never been in prison before” and that it would “have a significant impact on his life”.
With regards to Saunders, Eugene Egan said in mitigation that it took seven months for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to charge him with any offence, and that he has apologised for his actions and currently has a job offer on the table from a scaffolding company.
Passing sentence, Recorder Paul Hopkins QC told Marshall that his “offences were so serious that neither a fine or a community order can be imposed”. He sentenced him to a total of two years and 10 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.
Marshall, of Holst Close, Newport, was also disqualified from driving for 35 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190. Saunders, of Cardiff Road, Newport, was handed a two-year community order and told he must complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge of £95.
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