Taxi passenger jailed for Tesco car park attack

A passenger who racially abused his taxi driver and threatened him with a beer bottle has been jailed.

Jonathan Carver, 35, was “intoxicated” on drink and cocaine when he was picked up at around 4.15am on December 10, 2023. He had flagged down the driver while standing in the middle of the road and agreed a £20 fare to take him home.

When Carver couldn’t withdraw enough cash from ATMs, including one at Tesco in Pontypool, he gave the driver just £1.

He then chased the driver around the car park, bending the front and rear windscreen wipers of his Ford Tourneo minibus, punching off a wing mirror and throwing the driver’s mobile phone, shattering its screen. The incident was captured on the supermarket’s CCTV cameras.

In a victim impact statement, the driver said: “I was scared for my own safety. Nothing like this has ever happened before in the 14 years that I have been a taxi driver. I was disgusted by the way he acted and spoke to me.”

The damage cost £213 to repair and the driver was unable to work for a couple of days while repairs took place.

Carver, of Newman Road, Trevethin, Pontypool, admitted threatening a person with an offensive weapon, racially aggravated criminal damage and failing to surrender to court. He has 17 previous convictions for 34 offences.

Thomas Stanway, representing him, said: “He has written a letter of apology and he is disgusted by his demeanour.” The court heard Carver had been teetotal for five years before the offences but had been drinking and taken cocaine after a work colleague’s death.

Judge Eugene Egan told the defendant at Cardiff Crown Court: “This was an unseemly incident. Your behaviour was boorish and you threatened your victim with a bottle.”

Carver was jailed for 31 weeks and ordered to pay £213 compensation. With time already served after being remanded in custody, he was freed immediately.