Cheadle men jailed for cowardly attack on taxi driverTHREE thugs who repeatedly punched and kicked a taxi driver until he passed out have been jailed.
John Wareham, Russell Perry and Jason Adams were among four men in the cab who set upon the driver when travelling back to Cheadle from Heron Cross.
The victim's ears were flicked and his head slapped before one of the gang reached for the hand-brake, bringing the car to a halt.
The terrified cabbie was then punched all over his face before fainting.
Witnesses watched as he was repeatedly kicked and hit before the attackers walked off.
Now Wareham and Perry have been jailed for 16 months, with Adams sentenced to 12 months. The fourth man was not prosecuted.
Prosecutor Tim Harrington told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Perry called the taxi on August 26, 2012 to take the group from The Locomotive pub in Heron Cross to Cheadle.
The driver put the radio on at the defendants' request but the man in the front seat, whose identity has not been revealed, turned it up to the maximum.
The driver turned it down but was verbally abused.
Mr Harrington said: "The passenger turned the volume back up.
"One of the defendants flicked his ear. The driver asked him not to do that and the response was to kick the back of his seat.
"As he drove through Dilhorne one slapped his head and told him to speed up.
"The man in the front took hold of the steering wheel and one of the rear passengers reached forward and took the car out of gear. All began to jump around and shout.
"They continued to mess around with the steering wheel and gear stick.
"As he reached Cheadle the driver was hit in the face by the front seat passenger. He turned around looking for a petrol station with CCTV but one reached for the hand-brake and all began to attack him.
"He felt punches from all angles. He was punched all over his head and face and fainted."
A passer-by saw the taxi with two doors open and four men. She watched as one kicked the driver through an open door and another punched him six times. The victim was left with pain to his head and neck and a cut to his ear.
Wareham left his wallet in the back of the cab.
All three men pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.
Paul Cliff, defending Wareham, aged 25, of Ashbourne Road, Cheadle, said the attack was not premeditated but accepted his client behaved appallingly.
Catherine O'Reilly, representing Perry, said the 23-year-old, of Ullswater Drive, Cheadle, was deeply ashamed.
Andrew Molloy, mitigating for Jason Adams, said the 24-year-old of Queen Street, Cheadle, regretted the incident.
Judge David Fletcher said: "This was cowardly. It was a sustained assault involving the use of a weapon, a shod foot.
"It has had an ongoing effect on the taxi driver."
Read more:
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Cheadle- ... z2wzWGP7cI
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