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Thug met his match when assaulting taxi driver and former bouncer 'Big Dave'

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thug-met-matc ... 00600.html


Image: Falmouth Packet

A Falmouth man who launched a drunken and aggressive attack on a taxi driver has been found guilty of assault, criminal damage, and a public order offence.

Jarrod Westlake, aged 34, pleaded not guilty to all charges, but was convicted in his absence following a trial at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (October 22).

The court heard that on November 16 last year, a Mr Anakh Singh was parked in his taxi on the rank above The Moor, opposite Wetherspoons, when Westlake jumped into his vehicle.

Mr Singh told the court: “He asked me how old I was. I said, ‘Can you please get out? I’m not going to take you anywhere—you’re drunk.’ He replied, ‘Is it because of my religion? F**k your religion!’”

Westlake then exited the vehicle and began pushing and bending the passenger door, causing £1,200 worth of damage to the A2B-owned taxi. Mr Singh said he remained inside, fearing further damage or escalation.

The incident was witnessed by fellow taxi driver Arron Bates, whose dashcam footage was shown in court. Mr Bates described Westlake as “aggressive, shouting and swearing,” and said he saw former doorman and taxi driver Dave Wilson step in to try and calm the situation.

“Westlake started shoving Mr Wilson and getting in his face,” Mr Bates said. “An elderly couple got into my car and were clearly scared. They just wanted to get away from it all.”

As Mr Bates drove off, he saw Westlake swing a punch at Mr Wilson. Moments later, Mr Wilson, a former doorman, had Westlake on the ground. In footage shown in court Mr Bates is heard telling his passengers: “Big Dave’s got him!”

Police were called and Westlake was arrested at the scene.

Town ranger Hayley May also gave evidence, saying she had encountered Westlake earlier that evening on Prince of Wales Pier with a crate of beer, describing him as “a little bit lairy.”

She later saw him at the taxi rank, where he was “quite intimidating” and “chest bumped” Mr Wilson, shouting: “Who do you think you are? Nobody can stop me. It’s my f**king town. You cannot tell me what to do.”

PC Kirsty McNeill, the arresting officer, said Westlake refused to get into the police van and appeared to be under the influence of drugs, claiming: “I am an angel” and “I weigh 30 tons.”

During police interview, Westlake gave no comment to all questions. The court was told he had 24 previous convictions for 41 offences.

Magistrates found him guilty of all three charges and adjourned sentencing to November 10 to coincide with other matters.

And would have issued a warrant for his arrest, without bail.

Well done Big Dave.

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IDFIMH

Mostly rehash, but certainly worth a read if you haven't seen this before.

Or if you're bit anoraky about sentencing stuff in the magistrates' courts...


Taxi‑rank confrontation Falmouth; Jarrod Westlake sentencing

https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/2 ... entencing/


Image: Devon and Cornwall Police/The Falmouth Packet

An ‘aggressive and intimidating’ offender already jailed for more serious crimes has received what magistrates themselves described as a ‘simplistic’ and effectively symbolic sentence, after they found him guilty of assault, criminal damage and a public order offence following a chaotic taxi‑rank confrontation in Falmouth.

Jarrod Westlake, 34, of no fixed abode, was convicted in his absence in October at Truro Magistrates’ Court.

The case returned to court for sentencing this week, but magistrates emphasised that because Westlake is already serving a two‑year custodial sentence imposed by the Crown Court for a separate harassment conviction—one that activated a 12‑month suspended term handed down in August—their sentencing powers were sharply limited.

During Monday’s hearing, the chair of the bench said the latest matters amounted to a ‘tidy‑up operation’, noting that any penalty they imposed would sit beneath far more serious behaviour already dealt with at the higher court.

Given the statutory maximums available to magistrates and the fact that Westlake was already in custody, they issued a one‑day detention deemed served by time spent on remand.

The underlying offences stem from an incident on November 16 last year, when taxi driver Anakh Singh was parked on the rank above The Moor.

Westlake climbed into his cab, appeared drunk, and became verbally abusive when told he would not be driven anywhere. He then left the vehicle and violently bent the passenger door, causing £1,200 worth of damage to the taxi owned by A2B.

Dashcam footage captured by fellow taxi driver Arron Bates showed Westlake shouting, swearing, and shoving former doorman Dave Wilson, who had stepped in to calm the situation.

As Mr Bates drove away with passengers unnerved by the confrontation, he saw Westlake swing a punch at Mr Wilson before being taken to the ground. Police arrested him moments later.

Town ranger Hayley May also gave evidence, saying she had encountered Westlake earlier that evening carrying a crate of beer and behaving ‘lairy’ on Prince of Wales Pier.

She later saw him at the rank, intimidating Wilson and chest‑bumping him while shouting, ‘Nobody can stop me… It’s my f**king town.’

Arresting officer PC Kirsty McNeill said Westlake refused to get into the police van and appeared under the influence of drugs, claiming he was ‘an angel’ and ‘weigh 30 tons.’

He gave no comment in interview, and the court heard he has 24 previous convictions for 41 offences.

Alongside the nominal detention, magistrates ordered Westlake to pay £200 compensation to Mr Singh and £620 in costs, with payment deferred until April 2027 due to his ongoing imprisonment.