Manchester, August Events.

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TEESIDE

A man who demanded money from a taxi driver while threatening him with a knife, has been jailed.

Nicholas Mannion pointed the knife at the driver while saying “give me money”.

He left empty handed when the driver said he had no money on him.

Mannion, of Sycamore Avenue, Thornaby, appeared at Teesside Crown Court where he was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article.

The court heard that the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday May 3.

Mannion, 23, had ordered a taxi to take him to Laburnum Road, Thornaby.

Paul Lee, prosecuting, said Mannion remained quiet throughout the journey however when he reached the Laburnam Road, he got out telling the taxi driver he needed to get some money.

Mr Lee said: “The taxi driver asked him to leave something behind - in case the defendant didn’t return, so he left his trainers and went into a house.

“Five minutes later he returned, put his trainers on and asked the driver to drive.

“It was at that moment the taxi driver saw he had a knife. It was six inches long. The defendant said to him ‘drive where I ask you to’.”

Mr Lee said the taxi driver was frightened and worried that he was going to be stabbed and have money taken from him.

He added: “The driver was able to contact his control room and speak to them in his native language to raise the alarm.

“Mannion became suspicious and pointed the knife to the complainant and said ‘give me money’. The taxi driver told him he had no money.”

Mannion got out the taxi and left.

The court heard that Mannion has a long list of previous conviction with 34 offences and 18 convictions. His first offence was aged 15 and his first jail term was aged 18.

Mitigating Julian Gaskin said that Mannion was suffering from depression at the time and had been drinking.

He added: “Mr Mannion asked me to apologise to the victim for his horrendous actions. He has a lot of remorse for what happened.”

Judge Walford said: “To threaten someone late at night and someone who was in a vulnerable position such as a taxi driver with a knife is extremely serious.”

Mannion was jailed for two years and eight months.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/thornaby-man-nicholas-mannion-jailed-7537718
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CLITHEROE

A TAXI driver was forced to take his vehicle off the road immediately because it was unfit to carry passengers.

It came as enforcement officers in the Ribble Valley teamed up with police and other agencies in a nightime swoop on unroadworthy taxis.

In total, 22 vehicles were inspected at ranks in Clitheroe.

Of those, 17, were found to be of the required standard, four were served with advisory notices requiring work to be carried out on their vehicles within seven days and one was served with a prohibition notice requir-ing him to withdraw the vehicle from operation immediately.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/NEWS/11376254.Clitheroe_taxi_was_unfit_for_passengers/?ref=rss
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DUBLIN

A 15-year-old boy accused of holding a meat cleaver to a taxi-driver's throat during a carjacking in Dublin plans to plead guilty, his lawyer told a court today.

Gardaí arrested the boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, after the 36-year-old taxi driver was allegedly robbed at knife-point and his BMW car was seized in Terenure in the early hours of 18 May.

It was driven across the city until it collided with another taxi in Cabra, the Dublin Children's Court has heard.

The teenager was originally charged with three offences in connection with the hi-jacking: robbery of an iPhone 4, worth €400, its charger and €25 in coins; producing a meat cleaver-type knife, and theft of the taxi.

Last month, three additional hit-and-run charges were put to the teenager in connection with the incident.

These relate to damage caused to another car and failing to stop afterwards.

The Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended his case should go to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.

Today, Judge John O'Connor agreed with the DPP and refused jurisdiction to deal with the case in the Children's Court despite pleas for the case to be retained there.

Defence solicitor Matthew Kenny made submissions under Section 75 of the Children Act which gives the juvenile court discretion to deal with a case involving serious allegations by taking into consideration the defendant's age, level of maturity and any other relevant factors.

Mr Kenny told Judge O'Connor that the boy, who was accompanied to the hearing by his father and care workers, had a mild intellectual disability and "does not think about the consequences of his actions".

He also said his client is a teenager with impulsive behaviour, he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and his "level of maturity is less that of a normal 15-year-old".

He also said the fact that the teenager would plead guilty and the fact that he is in secure care of the State showed he was vulnerable.

Judge O'Connor held that the case should go to the higher court and adjourned the case for three weeks.

Mr Kenny said that a book of evidence will not be required as the teenager is planning to be sent forward to the Circuit Court, on a "signed plea of guilty".

Earlier, Garda Lee Hunt had told the Children's Court it was alleged the teenager flagged the taxi down in the Tallaght area and asked the driver to carry him.

During the journey it was alleged the boy took the phone and charger and "produced a cleaver and held it to the throat of the taxi-driver".

Garda Hunt had alleged the teenager then demanded money and the driver pulled his car over.

He pretended to search his clothes for cash and escaped on foot. Garda Hunt had said the man was uninjured but "extremely traumatised by the incident".

The court has heard he left the keys to his BMW in the car, the teenager then drove off "in a dangerous and erratic manner" until he collided with another taxi in Cabra.

He has been warned that it was a condition of bail that he has to continue residing in his current care placement, otherwise he could be remanded in custody to a juvenile detention centre.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0730/634066-car-jacking-court/