STOKE.

A terrified taxi driver jumped from his moving cab after a passenger made death threats and grabbed him around the neck.

The cabbie was travelling at 20mph when he took the evasive action after being told he was going to die when they reached Knutton.

His out-of-control taxi then crashed into a wall before the driver managed to flag down a passing vehicle.

Now passenger John Rawlinson has been locked up for 12 months after admitting assault and making threats to kill.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the defendant had drank 'an obscene amount of alcohol' when he called a taxi to take him from Meir to Knutton at 4.05am on October 22. During the terrifying 20-minute journey, the 26-year-old, of Vincent Place, Knutton, also made sexual advances towards the cabbie and demanded cash.

Prosecutor Peter Gilmour said: "Rawlinson grabbed the driver by the neck causing the car to swerve across the road. He continued to say 'just wait until we get to Knutton, I am going to kill you'.

"While travelling on the A34 the driver decided to head to a police station. But Rawlinson again said 'I am going to kill you' and grabbed the driver around the neck for 10 seconds.

"The driver threw himself out of the vehicle to get away while driving at 20mph. He landed on his knees and damaged his shoe."

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DUNDEE

A taxi apparently lost control and ploughed into a group of people celebrating their graduations in the city centre on Thursday evening.

An electric Nissan taxi was seen “out of control” as it mounted the kerb at the rank on Nethergate, opposite the Old Steeple Church, shortly after 6pm.

The incident is not being treated as terrorist related at this time.

A Dundee University graduand, named locally as Kenneth Chikezie, was hit by the vehicle, along with another male who escaped serious injury.

Mr Chikezie is thought to have suffered an arm injury and was conveyed to Ninewells hospital in an ambulance to be checked over by medical staff.
His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Andrew Nyomby, a friend of Mr Chikezie, was also walking in the group, and described what he saw.

“My family and I were walking in a group along Nethergate, when a taxi seemed to swerve off the road and headed straight towards us,” he said.
“The car knocked over my friend, Kenneth – who graduated from Dundee University just this afternoon – and he was on the ground by the bench and the bin.”

Peter Nyomby, Andrew’s father, said he didn’t see what happened, but heard a loud bang when the car mounted the pavement.

He said: “My other son said he saw the vehicle failing to stop as it reached the rank.

“I don’t understand how it could have happened, I heard the bang and the next moment I turn round and see two people on the ground.”

As many as five police cars and two ambulances were in attendance, with officers from both local Tayside division and British Transport Police on the scene.