Hazards at work, 45

Community order and no jail for an assault like this?

Story:
A drunken man who beat up a taxi driver for kicking him out of his cab has walked free from court. He was given a 12-month community order.

The 21-year-old man punched the driver after being ordered out of his taxi because of his unruly behaviour, leaving the victim nervous about carrying out his work, particularly at night and when passengers had been drinking.

The driver said he picked up five customers at 11:10 p.m in Burnley. The defendant sat in the front passenger seat and persistently knocked the taxi out of gear and interfered with the victim's radio. He pulled on the handbrake of the vehicle, tore a sticker off the dashboard and threw cards into the back of the cab.

The driver stopped, told the group he did not want to take them any further because of the defendant's behaviour and told them to get out.

As the defendant left the taxi, he elbowed the driver and the driver walked around the front of the vehicle to try to close the door. The defendant was standing in the way and punched the driver around the left eye, making him fall backwards. Two of the other passengers then joined in and the victim was again floored and thought he was briefly knocked unconscious.

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