Jailed: Shrewsbury man, 29, robbed taxi driver at knifepoint

Lee Davies flagged the taxi down in Ditherington, Shrewsbury, before waving a four-inch kitchen knife at Wayne Fuller and saying: "Give me your money or I will stab you."

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard Davies, 29, committed the robbery just 18 days after being released from prison for his third house burglary. He has also served jail terms for another robbery and affray and was warned by Judge Jim Tindal he would spend "most of his life" in prison if he did not change his ways.

Davies, of Wingfield Close, Ditherington, admitted robbery at court yesterday on the day he was due to stand trial, having denied it since arrest.

Mrs Sally Cairns, prosecuting, said Mr Fuller, who works for Go Carz in Shrewsbury, was sent to pick up a customer in Wingfield Gardens at about 6.20am on October 24 last year. He saw the defendant on the pavement waving his arms.

Mrs Cairns said Davies asked how much the taxi was going to cost. She continued: "Before Mr Fuller could answer, the defendant asked 'Where is your money?'

"He grabbed him by the arm and said, 'Give me your money or I will stab you.'"

Mrs Cairns said Mr Fuller gave £25 and a Morrisons voucher to Davies, who fled.

Miss Ramya Nagesh, for Davies, said her client was "badly assaulted" by three men he owed money to after his release from prison. "

As he didn't have any money he took this as an opportunity, wrongly, to get some money," she said.

Sentencing Davies, Judge Tindal said: "You don't give anyone much optimism that when you come out of prison, you are not going to do something like this again."