Taxi Driver Online

Taxi Robbers Jailed

31st July 2008

A pair of bungling crooks who robbed a taxi driver were collared after giving the cabbie their real address, a court heard.

Boozed-up Amos Smith and Aaron Devall forgot to give a dummy address when asked 'where to?', then threatened the driver with a knife and nicked £190 takings and his cab in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The stranded cab man then called cops, who sent a sniffer dog squad to the address the pair had given and tracked down the crooks within minutes, Maidstone Crown Court was told on Monday.

Smith, 29, of Coronation Gardens, Battle, got his first conviction for violence aged just 12 and was on licence for a brutal 2001 robbery in which an elderly man was beaten in his own home at the time of the taxi robbery.

Prosecutor Jane Scotchmer told the court: "The dog picked up the scent after a red hooded top was found.

"It then continued down the street and when it saw Devall, it started to bark at him.

"He was then searched and the taxi car key was found on him - as well as the wallet and £97 in cash."

Mrs Scotchmer said the driver had been deeply traumatised by the robbery, adding: "He was a vulnerable victim because he was alone and it was late at night.

"He was left shocked and suffered headaches.

"And he was anxious when he started taking fares again."

Smith was jailed for two years, three months and Devall, 34, of Tunbridge Wells, got two years.

Smith must serve an additional two-and-a-half years on top of the sentence handed to him yesterday because he breached his licence for the 2001 offence.

The pair had admitted robbery at a hearing last month.

Recorder Alex Milne told the pair: "Your behaviour was absolutely appalling.

"It was no doubt a thoroughly unpleasant experience for the taxi driver."

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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