Taxi Driver Online

Attacker jailed for waving knife in taxi driver's face

Saturday, June 12, 2010, 09:20

A violent offender who lashed out with a knife at a taxi driver – missing his face by "a whisker" – has been jailed for three years.

Ryan Cartner, aged 26, had got in Sids driver Mark Holland's car at an address in Newcastle on October 19 and asked to be taken home.

But as the driver pulled into his street, Longshaw Avenue in Bradwell, Cartner, below, said: "There is someone who wants to fight me. He is going to have it tonight."

Prosecutor Fiona Cortese told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court that Mr Holland noticed Cartner had a knife and told him to be careful with it.

Cartner told the driver he was going to use the knife on the person and kill him.

He then said he had no money and if Mr Holland "tried to have him" he would "stick the knife right in him".

Miss Cortese said: "He then slashed at his face three or four times. It did not make contact, but it was so close he could feel the wind from it."

Cartner got out and said he would ask his partner for the fare.

The woman then asked Mr Holland to return the next day.

About 10 minutes later, the taxi driver spoke to passing police officers and said he was terrified by his ordeal.

That incident happened while Cartner was on bail for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm on July 24.

The court heard he hit 48-year-old Ian Wilson in the face, squared up to him and butted him.

Witnesses saw him kick his victim while he was on the floor.

Mr Wilson suffered a cut and swollen forehead, which needed four stitches, and a bruised right ear.

Cartner, who has convictions for 87 previous offences including a robbery and numerous incidents of violence, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Wilson occasioning him actual bodily harm and the affray in October.

The court heard that when he committed the affray, Cartner was subject to two suspended sentences.

Anis Ali, mitigating, said Cartner drank excessively and had a dependance on illicit substances.

He told the court there was a degree of provocation in relation to the assault on Mr Wilson.

And in respect of the affray, he said Mr Holland was not injured.

Judge Granville Styler said Cartner was dangerous, but provisions for a minimum sentence of four years did not apply in this case.

Jailing the offender for three years, the judge said: "You hit your first victim in the face, head-butted him, knocked him to the ground and kicked him to the head.

"You then committed the affray. You produced a knife, terrifying the taxi driver, slashing it within a whisker of his face."

"These are very serious matters. You are a dangerous young man."

Source; thisisstaffordshire.co.uk

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Three years not long enough should be made to slide down a big knife using his bxlls as a brake

Obviously not that serious or that dangerouse



I think after such a varied history this man (if you could call him that) should just be locked up for a very long time. I think every time somebody re offends they should have an extra 6 months added to their sentence and it the rate this chap is at now he would have an extra 14 and a half years added to his current sentence. Bearing in mind that every time he had re offended he would also be getting an extra 6 months added for each previous offence he probably would still be in prison now and would not have had the opportunity to commit some of the later of the 87 offences.

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Two suspended sentences???

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

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