Taxi Driver Online

You'd think the judge would just be able to ask the CPS why this case was delayed, rather than just sounding off about it, but who knows

Slapped wrist for the perp though, more or less


Newport man broke taxi driver’s nose with wine bottle

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/ ... ne-bottle/

A MAN broke a taxi driver’s nose after hitting him in the face with a glass wine bottle in “a very cruel and cowardly” alcohol-fuelled attack.

Anthony Griffiths, 49, from Newport then “charged like a bull” at a police officer who was trying to arrest him before punching him to the head.

The attacks took place in Abergavenny more than four years ago on the night of Saturday, February 27, 2021.

There was no explanation from the Crown Prosecution Service for that long delay with the judge, Recorder Dyfed Llion Thomas, condemning it by saying it “beggars belief”.

He said: “The Crown Prosecution Service should have themselves, as a matter of professional pride if nothing else, looked into why there's a delay this long to see to make sure that if anything can be done to make sure it doesn't happen again.”

Prosecutor Ross McQuillan-Johnson said Griffiths and a woman had been picked up from the Old Forge Craft Shop in Llanellen at around 10.15pm.

The defendant soon became aggressive with taxi driver Erol Aglamaz and started shouting and swearing at him and demanding to get out of the vehicle when it was travelling on a dual carriageway.

The female passenger began crying and Griffiths slapped her, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Griffiths then used the bottle of wine to strike Mr Aglamaz in the face before he started damaging his cab by punching the interior.

The driver pulled over and the police were called.

“Although the officer initially notes that the defendant was compliant with his orders, he then picked up the glass bottle,” McQuillan-Johnson said.

“He was told in very clear verbal commands to get on the ground. However, he ignored these and charged at the officer.

“The officer describes the charge as being almost being animalistic, like a bull, with his eyes fixed on him.”

The police officer was taken to the ground and punched to the left side of the head.

He managed to call for back-up and Griffiths was arrested.

The defendant was abusive to the officers and was calling them “c****”.

Griffiths caused so much damage to the cage in the police van taking him into custody that another van had be sent to put him in.

Mr Aglamaz was left with two black eyes and was taken to hospital for treatment and later needed corrective surgery for his broken nose.

The defendant, of Station Road, Llanwern, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating of an emergency worker and two counts of criminal damage.

His barrister Peter Donnison said his client had no previous convictions and had not been in trouble with the law in the four years that had passed since these incidents.

Recorder Thomas told Griffiths: “You carried out a very cruel and cowardly attack or Mr Aglamaz who is in work at the time as a taxi driver.

“The court takes very seriously assaults upon people who serve the public.

“They should be safe from drunken yobbish behaviour and indeed violent behaviour like you displayed that night.

“If you can’t handle your drink Mr Griffiths, stay away from it.”

The defendant was jailed for 12 months but that sentence was suspended for 12 months.

He must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £1,500 in compensation as well as a £156 victim surcharge.

Good job nothing else happened, and the Welsh coroner wasn't involved - he'd have blamed the driver if the daftie here had come to harm after pulling over

I suspect the judge actually knows why this case was delayed for so long, as it is far from being unique. Maybe he is, quite rightly in my view, trying to highlight the huge backlog of cases.

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