A taxi driver was pushed out of a moving car by a drunk and violent passenger who then stole his taxi in a bid to escape. The victim, who worked for a taxi firm, had been on shift on Saturday, September 17 , 2022 on Arnot Hill Drive, Arnold, when he was approached by a man and woman asking to be taken home.
The victim noticed Reuben Commons had been drinking, but agreed to take the pair and asked for them both to get into the back seats. Before Commons got into the car he attempted to open to driver’s door and sit on his lap.
After being told to move he then reluctantly got into the front passenger’s seat and immediately became hostile and shouted directions at the driver. Just after 1.20am things began to turn violent after the taxi driver asked for the fare upfront, causing 25-year-old Commons to call him a ‘tramp’ and repeatedly threaten him with violence.
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He then threw a plastic bottle full of water over the driver which hit him on the head, after which the driver attempted to stopped the car. Commons then began to kick and punch the victim repeatedly.
During the struggle, Commons pushed the victim out of the car while it was still moving. He then continued to attack him on the road, kicking him to the head until he was unconscious.
Leaving the driver unconscious on the road, he then stole the taxi in an attempt to get away but only managed to drive around 50 yards before getting out and letting it crash into a parked car.
Commons, of Ulgham Close, Arnold, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, February 3 after pleading guilty to wound or inflict grievous bodily harm and aggravated vehicle taking and property damage. He was jailed for a total of 32 months and also ordered to pay £187 to the victim.
Detective Constable Colin Jones, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was an act of sheer drunken violence out of nowhere against someone who was simply doing his job.
“No-one deserves to be treated like this and viciously battered to the point of losing consciousness.
“Commons’ actions on this night, as shown in the dashcam footage, show his complete disrespect for members of the public and the sheer brutality of his actions against a completely innocent man.
“I hope his sentence will not only bring the victim some comfort but also give Commons some time to reflect on his actions that night and hit home to him that behaving in this way will never be tolerated by any police force.”
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