Taxi Driver Online

Jail for attack on taxi driver

AN East European immigrant who battered a taxi driver and told police: "It doesn't matter, I'll only do six months" was handed the sentence he predicted on Wednesday.

Edgaras Tamasauskas, 25, kicked Riaz Jan, 31, and beat him with a bottle in a booze-fuelled attack in Beckton, leaving the cab driver with a serious head wound.

Experienced police officers were shocked by the amount of blood at the scene of the unprovoked attack. Following his arrest, Tamasauskas boasted about the sentence he would get for the assault.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, the heavily built Lithuanian was jailed for 12 months, although he will serve just half the term, as he said. Judge George Bathurst Norman said cab drivers need the protection of the courts.

Prosecutor Caroline Milroy had said that bald-headed Tamasauskas was swigging from a beer bottle when he was helped into Mr Jan's cab by friends in High Road, Leytonstone, on January 29, 2007.

The asbestos removal supervisor screamed: "Drive, drive to Beckton. I want to go to Beckton," and flew into a rage when the driver told him not to drink in his car.

Tamasauskas screamed in his native tongue and the driver pleaded with him to speak in English. They got out of the car in Covelees Wall and Tamasauskas attacked Mr Jan with the bottle he was still clutching.

"He turned away from Mr Tamasauskas and was hit over the head," said the prosecutor. "Mr Jan fell on to the boot of the car and tried to punch back to defend himself." The cab driver then fell to the ground, said Ms Milroy.

"Mr Tamasauskas then began to kick him in the back while he was on the floor." The attacker then fled, but returned looking for his phone and demanded cash from Mr Jan, it was alleged. "Mr Jan said he thought he was going to be beaten up again, so he ran away," added the prosecutor.

Police arrived and arrested Tamasauskas. "The officers remarked on the amount of blood found at the scene,' said Ms Milroy, adding: "They saw blood on the defendant's hands."

Tamasauskas, who finally admitted the assault on the day of his trial, told officers: "It doesn't matter, I'll only do six months anyway." Ms Milroy added: "He was abusive and aggressive towards police officers."

Mr Jan suffered multiple injuries including a haemorrhaging of the eye, a 4cm gash on his head and a cut to the neck. He lost about £1,300 in earnings while he recovered from his wounds.

Charles Langley, defending, pleaded with the judge to suspend the father-to-be's jail sentence. "This is an out of character offence," Mr Langley claimed.

Sentencing Tamasauskas, who holds a British passport after coming to the UK in 1995, Judge Bathurst Norman said: "Drink can never be an excuse. "Cab drivers, particularly those driving at night, need to know the courts will protect them."

Tamasauskas, from Walthamstow, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The offence is punishable by up to five years imprisonment. A charge of robbery was ordered to lie on the file.

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