Taxi Driver Online

Man, 24, arrested after 'taxi driver held at knifepoint' as police called to disturbance

A man has been arrested after a 'disturbance' between a taxi driver and another car.

Police were called to Westbury Street in Thornaby on Monday evening shortly after 9pm following reports of a disturbance between two vehicles on the road, one of which was a taxi. Witnesses in the area at the time claimed that a "taxi driver [was] held at knife point" during the incident and while he had not been injured he was left "shaken" by the ordeal.

Now, Cleveland Police has confirmed that a 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. He is currently being held in police custody while he is questioned by officers.

The force has since launched an appeal to find anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or have any information or dashcam footage from around the time of the incident that may help with its investigation. A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: "Police were called to Westbury Street at around 9.10pm yesterday (Monday, July 10) to reports of a disturbance in which a taxi and another vehicle were involved.

"A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon and he is being questioned. Enquiries are on-going and we would appeal for anyone with information, CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to contact Cleveland Police on the 101 number, quoting 135908.

"If you don’t want to speak to police you can pass information anonymously to independent charity www.crimestoppers-uk.org or phone them on 0800 555 111."

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IDFIMH

think we'll have to wait for the court report to find out what happened as it sounds a little strange for a road rage incident. After all you wouldn't hold someone at knifepoint you'd lash out at them if you were incandescent with rage would you not ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

You are trying to rationalise an irrational action.

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IDFIMH

Coke addict, eh? Who'd have expected that?

So he's banged up and a suspended sentence was activated...

I'm sure it was worth it for the bag of snacks he managed to steal...


Thornaby thug left taxi driver fearing for his life

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... ring-life/

A thug who left a taxi driver fearing for his life as he forced him to drive while holding a seven-inch blade to his neck has been locked up.

Brooklyn Dougan climbed into the back of the victim’s car in Thornaby town centre before demanding he hand over cash and his mobile phone.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 21-year-old pulled on the car’s handbrake before jumping out of the car and running away with a shopping bag full of snacks.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said: “The complainant told him he wasn’t working. The defendant pulled out a knife and the taxi driver could feel it at the back of his neck.

“Throughout the course of the journey, he held the knife to the driver’s neck and at one point put his arm around his neck and the drive saw that it was a seven-inch blade with a serrated edge.

“The defendant pulled the handbrake on the taxi, demanded cash and his mobile phone before jumping out of the car.”

The taxi driver told police he was ‘99 per cent sure he was going to die’ during the incident.

Dougan was identified by a Cleveland Police PCSO who watched CCTV from the Sainsbury’s store.

The court heard how the defendant also forced his way into five sheds before being chased off by the homeowner from his property on Lilac Avenue, Thornaby, in the early hours of February 16.

Dougan, of St Pauls Road, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article following the incident on March 13. He also pleaded guilty to the shed burglary.

Victoria Lamballe, mitigating, said her client has a longstanding crack cocaine addiction and ‘mercifully’ the taxi driver has not suffered any physical injury.

Judge Andrew Hatton told Dougan it didn’t matter that his robbery attempt was unsuccessful as the taxi driver genuinely feared for his life.

He added: “You had a knife to the man’s throat, the fact you didn’t take any money from his pocket and simply left with a bag from the footwell makes no difference to the offence.

“Undoubtedly, the taxi driver feared for his life.”

Dougan was jailed for a total of six years after a suspended sentence for four shop thefts was activated.

Presumably the car wasn't the perp's, and was unrelated to the incident, or maybe a passer-by who got involved in some way.

But Edders certainly called it right

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IDFIMH