Fenland man jailed after being sick in taxi and threatening driver with knife

A DRUNK and abusive passenger has been jailed after being sick in a taxi before throwing a rock through the window and threatening the driver with a knife.

Thomas Jackson, 22, ordered a taxi from his home in Terrington St Clement for him and his girlfriend on February 21.

But when it arrived the driver saw that Jackson had been drinking, was abusive to his girlfriend throughout the journey and ordered him to stop the taxi so he could be sick.

He was also sick on himself and the seats and became angry when told he would have to pay to clean it.

Nick Methold, prosecuting, said that Jackson then ripped a mobile phone from the dashboard of the car and threw a rock through the rear window. He also threatened the driver with a kitchen knife.

Jackson did not remember the whole incident, but pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon, affray and making threats to kill.

Jonathan Dunn, mitigating, said that his client had been on antidepressants but had not taken them for three days before the incident.

“He’d gone out and had far too much to drink,” he said, and added that Jackson appreciated that he had been “out of order”.

“He’s been painfully aware of the consequences on the taxi driver,” he said.

Recorder Guy Ayers said: “It may well be that when you’re sober you’re a hard-working, honest young man. When you’re in drink you’re none of those things. You damaged his vehicle inside and out.”

He added that it was very important that the courts protected taxi drivers, who often have to deal with drunk customers, and handed down a sentence of nine months in prison and ordered Jackson to pay �2,500 in compensation.