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Taxi ride to the police station.

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Nidge2

Post subject: Taxi ride to the police station.

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 12:50 pm

Drunken Ian Watkinson threatened a taxi driver with a knife after refusing to pay up - so the cabbie delivered him to a police station.

The driver locked Watkinson in the back of the cab after he pulled the blade from his pocket.

But fellow taxi drivers in Nottingham have spoken of their disgust after the 29-year-old received a lenient sentence at Nottingham Crown Court.

Mark Cartledge, chairman of the Nottingham Private Hire Association, said the penalty - a community rehabilitation order for 18 months - was highly disappointing. He felt it sent out the wrong message to people who threaten drivers.

The call follows an incident in April when a taxi driver was stabbed in the face in a city street. The attack happened at 4.30pm in Isabella Street, off Canal Street.

Mr Cartledge said: "We thought the courts were getting tougher. This is a very poor response.

"The trade is getting very concerned about these sorts of attacks."

The court heard how Watkinson, of Vernon Road, Bulwell, got a lift home with the driver, who was not identified in court, from the city centre earlier this year. After the driver pulled up outside his house, Watkinson said he had no money.

He told the driver to wait while he went inside to get some.

But the driver realised Watkinson may not return and activated a device to lock all the doors inside the car.

Watkinson reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out a butterfly knife, telling the driver 'you want this?'.

Peter Walmsley, prosecuting, said the driver and the passenger were separated by a partition.

"It was a threat, hoping the taxi driver would let him out of the car and he would get away without paying the fare. The taxi driver drove the defendant to Radford police station."

The defendant was arrested and smelt strongly of alcohol, the court was told.

He later said that he accidentally pulled out the knife when he was trying to find change in his pocket.

Watkinson admitted possession of an offensive weapon.

Judge Jonathan Teare sentenced him to a community rehabilitation order for 18 months and said he must pay £200 costs. He told Watkinson: "You are here probably because you had too much to drink that night.

"You said you couldn't understand the taxi driver.

"I sentence you for the possession of that extremely offensive weapon, which you shouldn't have had in the first place."

The judge also ordered that the knife be destroyed.

One cabbie at Nottingham station taxi rank said:

"There are lots of risks being a cabbie these days - drunks, violence. This sentence is well out of order. "

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Sussex

Post subject:

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:19 pm

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 55024
Location: 1066 Country

He pulled out the knife by accident !!!!!

What the f*** did he have it for in the first place?

_________________
IDFIMH

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Nidge2

Post subject:

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 10:43 am

Sussex wrote:

He pulled out the knife by accident !!!!!

What the f*** did he have it for in the first place?

I bet he was peeling an apple?

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Guest

Post subject:

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 3:46 am

Nidge wrote:

Sussex wrote:

He pulled out the knife by accident !!!!!

What the f*** did he have it for in the first place?

I bet he was peeling an apple?

nah, but definatly peel the back seat

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