Youth given custody after Telford taxi driver battered in drunken attack

Afrasiab Ahktar has been unable to continue to work for Telford firm Central Taxis during the evenings following the late night assault a year ago.

Judge Peter Barrie said it was a "disgraceful episode of violence" and must have been a terrifying for Mr Ahktar, who was pulled from his car and beaten up.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Elliot Humphreys - the only one of the trio of attackers to identified and charged - was given a total of 18 months custody at a Young Offenders Institution.

The court heard that he had also assaulted two police officers following his arrest a short time after the attack in Donnington on March 29 last year.

Humphreys, 18, of Hartshill Road, Oakengates, was also sentenced for dangerous driving in a separate incident in August last year.

Miss Amy Jacobs, prosecuting, said that there had been a dispute with Mr Ahktar over the fare about and his three passengers in the rear seats had become abusive.

She said Humphreys had taken hold of him round the neck and punched him on the left side of his face with his fist.

The others had then opened the door and Mr Ahktar had been grabbed by the collar and was in fear and offered a £5 refund.

Miss Jacobs said more money was demanded and the defendant had tried to snatch the car keys from the ignition before the victim was dragged from his car on to the ground.

He was repeatedly kicked and punched, the rear window of his taxi was smashed and £100 was taken from the car.

Mr Ahktar had been able to drive away and was later able to point out Humphrey to police who recovered £70 in cash from the defendant.

The court heard that Humphreys had reacted badly to being arrested and butted one officer in the face and was struggling and kicking a police van. Later at the police station he spat at a custody officer.

Miss Jacobs said the driving incident in August involved a Ford Fiesta Humphreys had bought for £150 and was driving without insurance or tax in Bridge Street, Oakengates, when spotted by police.

He drove away at speed and struck a verge and bollards to an underpass at which point Humphreys tried to get out of the moving car, but was dragged along until the Fiesta hit a parked car.

At an earlier hearing Humphreys had admitted assaulting Mr Ahktar causing him actual bodily harm and assaulting the two police officers and a charge of dangerous driving.

He was sentenced to 12 months for the attack on the taxi driver and further two months for the police assaults.

The defendant was given an additional four months in custody for the driving offence and banned from driving for two years and must take an extended driving test.

Mrs Debra White, for Humphreys, said her client, who had been 17 at the time, had been drinking and had little recollection of his behaviour that evening and had been smoking cannabis when he drove his car and had been "foolish" to attempt to get out of the vehicle while it was moving.