Taxi Driver Online

A bit like the Fife case last week

And recall that the case with the North Wales coroner was going to Wrexham...

I'm sure he'd have sorted all this out amicably

Anyway, what a rigmarole over not much of a punishment.


COURT: Trevor man sentenced for abuse at taxi office

https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk ... xi-office/

A MAN who subjected staff at a taxi office to foul, derogatory abuse after drinking has been sentenced.

Jordan Bateman, of Charles Avenue in Trevor, appeared in the dock at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.

The 25-year-old admitted one offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, which took place in Wrexham on April 12.

Prosecutor Sarah Edwards told the court that at around 6.20am on the day in question, staff at Yellow Cars taxi office in King Street called police after the defendant became verbally abusive.

He had been hurling foul and derogatory language at a female staff member, the court heard.

When police arrived at the scene, they learned Bateman had been trying to get a taxi from Wrexham to Trevor, and had disputed the fare.

He hadn't wanted to pay the price given to him by his taxi driver, and so had been brought to the taxi office.

Bateman continued to shout at staff whilst police were present and continued despite being "profusely warned" to leave and find alternative transport.

As such, he was arrested at around 6.30am.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, told the court that her client had only one conviction on his record, from some years previously.

"He had been drinking," she said.

"He'd been out in town with his friends and bumped into another friend he knew, so he went back to their home in Wrexham.

"Before he knew it, it was 4am and he rang a taxi.

"This is a journey he takes home regularly and the fare is usually around £18.50.

"But having gotten into the taxi, the driver told him it would be considerably more and that he'd have to pay before he was taken home.

"He accepts he was intoxicated and wishes now that he'd dealt with this in a different manner."

Ms Griffiths said that despite being in trouble around the time of the previous conviction, in 2020, her client had "turned his life around" and gained good employment as a mechanical technician engineer for a local company.

She conceded Bateman had "let himself down on this occasion" and asked the court to consider imposing a conditional discharge.

District Judge Gwyn Jones told Bateman: "It's clear you were under the influence of alcohol and that the discussions regarding the fare from the city centre to your home were not particularly productive.

"You became offensive to the staff - who provide a valuable service to the people of Wrexham."

The Judge handed down a 24 month conditional discharge and ordered Bateman to pay £85 costs, as well as a £26 victim surcharge.

The timings are a bit odd, but looks like he phoned for a car from wherever, and after the fare was disputed the driver took him to the office, where it all kicked off at 6.20am.

So what happened in the couple of hours inbetween isn't clear, although when he actually phoned for a taxi, precisely, and when it actually arrived to pick him up isn't clear

I was just wondering about that in terms of whether the fare could have been on the night rate, or whatever.

But looks like it's 8 miles minimum, up to maybe 9 miles, depending on route.

So the chances of him getting a car for £18.50 at any time of the night or day seem pretty remote