Source: News & Star
A drunken man who assaulted a 66-year-old taxi driver in Carlisle city centre has escaped an immediate jail term.
Ashley Turnbull, 25, of Mill Street, Longtown, headbutted George Dickinson after he was asked to hand over £60 as a penalty for being sick in the back of his cab.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how Mr Dickinson had picked Turnbull and his friends up from the Golden Fleece, in Ruleholme, between Brampton and Longtown, and driven them to Carlisle city centre on December 5 last year.
He had no problem with the group until he asked for the additional money, at which point Turnbull became aggressive, hurling abuse at Mr Dickinson, headbutting him and putting his fingers inside his mouth.
As a result of the attack, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson described how Mr Dickinson was now “far more wary” about who he picked up in his taxi.
He suffered reddening of his chin, cuts to the inside of his mouth and also had his dentures badly damaged by Turnbull, meaning that he could no longer wear them.
Mr Rogerson said: “As a result of the incident his sleep pattern was disturbed and he lost a stone in weight. At the age of 66 he expressed surprise at being attacked by a young man.”
The court heard that Turnbull – who pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing – had no previous convictions, and he was told by Judge Peter Hughes that had it not been for his “hitherto good character”, he would have been sent to prison immediately.
Judge Hughes said: “Attacks on taxi drivers are totally unacceptable… the way you behaved towards that taxi driver was really quite shameful.”
Turnbull was handed a six-and-a-half-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Hughes also ordered him to pay compensation to Mr Dickinson of £500 and a contribution towards court costs of £340.
