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Drunken thug headbutted taxi driver after refusing to pay his fare
A taxi driver who challenged a drunk passenger who refused to pay his fare was headbutted for his troubles. The driver had picked up Lee Insley in Ashby and agreed to take him home to nearby Midway, outside Swadlincote, on Monday this week (March 20), a court heard.
Moments after assaulting the driver, Insley went to his parents' home and picked up a kettle which he used to smash a mirror and a television. The 49-year-old appeared in court yesterday, and explained he had been drinking because he was upset after hearing someone had insulted his ex-partner, calling her a "fat monster", DerbyshireLive reports.
Prosecutor Lynn Bickley told the court the cabbie encountered Insley around 4pm and agreed to take him home. Miss Bickley said: "The defendant asked to be dropped off at a store so he could take the money out to pay for the fare, which was £11.
"But when he got out of the taxi, he started to walk away. The taxi driver got out and held him by the arm to prevent him from walking away and going any further, and told the defendant he was going to call the police.
"The defendant said he had no money and then head-butted the driver to the right side of the head. He let go of the defendant fearing he was going to be assaulted further.
"A group of children on bikes followed the defendant back to his address and told the taxi driver where he had gone." The driver knocked on the door, and the defendant's mother answered, Miss Bickley continued.
The mother started to become upset and advised the cabbie to call the police. Later, she said in a statement to police that Insley had been sleeping in their living room and his drunken behaviour had become a significant problem.
After returning to the house moments after attacking the driver, Insley turned violent again. Miss Bickley said: "She described the defendant as 'going off on one' inside the house, picking up a kettle and using it to smash a mirror and using it to hit the TV four or five times.
"She says she is sick of his behaviour when he's drunk and that she does not want him to contact her or to return to her home. In his interview he made full admissions saying he was in drink at the time."
Simon Dhillon, representing Insley, said his client had pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage at the earliest opportunity and that the taxi driver "was quite forceful twisting his arm" when he tried to stop him walking away.
Jailing Insley, of Lincoln Way, Midway, for 12 weeks, District Judge Jonathan Taaffe told him: "You have assaulted a taxi driver who was simply doing his duty. He tried to reason with you and you head-butted him." As well as the jail sentence, Judge Taaffe ordered the defendant to pay the cabbie £100 compensation and to pay his parents £280 compensation for the damage he caused using the kettle.
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