This is such a world away from our part of NE Fife that if someone had asked me where Kelty is I'd have to think about whether it actually was in Fife (and I wouldn't be surprised of the average driver on our ranks in St Andrews these days has even heard of the place
).
But this sounds like big city stuff in a small town - I'd guess just one member of staff in the office most of the time, and probably only one office in the whole town. And wouldn't be surprised if there were no taxi ranks, and maybe a handful of spaces at most...
Kelty Buckfast thug took taxi staff hostage after two-day benderhttps://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/2 ... ay-bender/A violent offender went into a Kelty taxi firm’s office and abducted two members of staff.Michael Stewart had been on a two-day bender when he demanded a taxi then headbutted a cabbie who refused to take him.
The man was also slapped and knocked to the ground before being dragged into a room beside the female taxi controller.
He smashed up the office, told the workers he was holding them hostage and that the only way they would be leaving was in a body bag.
Stewart, 35, a prisoner at Perth, appeared from custody and Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He admitted that on 11th January at Kelty Taxis, he abducted a man and woman.
He seized the man by the body and dragged him into an office, blocked the door, stated he was holding them hostage, prevented them from leaving and detained them against their will.
He also assaulted the man by repeatedly headbutting him and slapping him to the face, causing him to fall to the ground.
He further admitted that he shouted, swore, threw a glass bottle, kicked a door, made threatening remarks, made threats of violence towards the man and woman, pulled out cables, threw office equipment causing damage to it, threatened to petrol bomb their homes, their office and to kill them.
The female victim was working as taxi controller and the male was a driver.
Depute fiscal Sarah Smith said that at 11.40am Stewart went to the office, began demanding a taxi and the woman told him he would have to wait around 20 minutes.
Stewart sat down in the waiting room and the controller called the driver saying there was fare in the office.
Stewart was swigging from a bottle of Buckfast and then spat on the floor. He began pacing up and down, shouting and commenting about how cold it was.
The woman placed a heater in the room and he thanked her.
The driver arrived at the office and told Stewart if he was going to spit or be sick in his taxi he would not be taking him.
Stewart became furious at this, shouting and swearing in the cabbie’s face, making threats to slash his throat and bite his ear off.
He then picked up his bottle of Buckfast and threw against the office window.
He shouted at the woman telling her to Google his name to see what he was capable of before kicking at her door, which he forced open.
Once inside the main office, he began throwing items around, smashing a TV, throwing chairs and damaging anything he could get his hands on.
He was continuing to make threats such as “I’m gonna burn your house down and kill your families”.
The cabbie tried to defuse the situation but Stewart headbutted him twice to the face. The driver was then slapped twice to the face, knocking him to the ground and causing his glasses to break.
Stewart dragged the driver into the main office, closing the door behind him. He told the pair the was holding them hostage and “the only way they would be leaving was in a body bag”.
He told them he wanted to remember their faces as he was going to petrol bomb their homes and the office.
As he made the threats, he continued to trash the office, throwing computers and TVs to the floor.
The woman’s son walked through the front door and saw his mum through a window. He could see she was “terrified” but could not see Stewart.
The woman told her son to leave and call the police which was done at a local shop.
The victims told police they believed they were held in the office against their will for 45 minutes before Stewart left, warning them he would “get them later”.
Shortly afterwards officers found Stewart in the Kings pub where he was arrested.
Defence solicitor Matthew Nicholson said his client had been released from a previous jail sentence in 2022 and had been working and staying off alcohol until this incident.
The landscape gardener had fallen out with his wife, been drinking for two days and cannot remember the offence.
Sheriff Robert More said the episode must have been “terrifying” for the two victims.
He jailed Stewart for 16 months backdated to January, when he was remanded in custody.
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