A drunken Leeds man who threatened to stab a taxi driver during a terrifying robbery has been jailed for 22 months.

Tinashe Magwenjere, 29, grabbed the driver by the throat and demanded cash after a dispute over a £7.50 fare in the early hours of 14 April last year.

The incident unfolded in the Little London area of Leeds, when Magwenjere, refused to pay the driver after his girlfirend had pre-booked the cab for him.

After initially paying the fare, Magwenjere photographed the driver's registration plate, prompting a confrontation.

He leaned into the driver's window and gripped the driver's throat so tightly that he struggled to breathe.

He then said: "Give me the money. I will kill you, I will stab you right here." Magwenjere repeated the threats until the terrified driver handed over £50 from his pocket.

The driver immediately called the police, who arrested Magwenjere at the scene.

As he was being led away, Magwenjere shouted: "I'm going to deal with you, remember that."

Magwenjere admitted a charge of robbery. He has previous convictions for shop thefts and bail act offences.

Magwenjere later told a probation officer that he was only trying to get his money back, but confessed he was drunk. He said he made no excuses for his actions and wanted to apologise to the cab driver.

At Leeds Crown Court, Judge Kate Rayfield told Magwenjere she had watched the footage taken from the taxi, accepted it was out of character but said: “It was a particularly vulnerable victim. Taxi drivers work alone and late at night.”

The Judge jailed him for 22 months.

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Abdul Wahab was jailed last week after being convicted of a sexual assault on a woman in the city in December 2022.

Wahab, 47, was hired by the woman to take her home after a night out in Coventry city centre.

During the journey home he stopped the vehicle, got into the back seat and sexually assaulted her.

Throughout the investigation by West Midlands police, Wahab's story changed with him continually denying having done it, then claiming to not remember the incident.

He told officers that other people also had access to his cab and that it could have been one of them, even though there was mobile phone data linking him to the scene of the crime.

Despite Wahab's repeated attempts to claim he couldn't remember the night the offence happened, a sizeable body of evidence was built by officers proving he was in the area when the offence happened.

Following his conviction in July last year, Wahab was remanded before his sentencing on Monday 20 January where he was jailed for three years.

He will also be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

A spokesperson for West Midlands police said: "We take sexual offences extremely seriously and will always investigate fully any reports we receive.

"We always encourage survivors of sex offences to come forward and tell us your story.

"Our officers investigate all reports, however long ago they were."

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The leader of Pendle Borough Council faces a no-confidence vote next Wednesday in a long-running row about taxi licensing.

Independent Cllr Asjad Mahmood, faces the challenge from Lib-Dems, part of the borough’s joint administration for the past two years.

Lib-Dems claim a ‘red line’ was crossed last month at a full council meeting when Independent councillors and some Tories overturned a move for the mandatory use of a phone app for cabbies to carry out routine vehicle checks by the end of February 2025.

At the meeting last month, Independent Cllr Mohammed Iqbal proposed a motion to delay the deadline, citing concerns about a potential backlog of work. He argued that with only 30 out of 800 taxi drivers signed up, enforcing the app would overwhelm the taxi committee, possibly leading to lengthy delays and driver discontent.

Iqbal also raised concerns about the potential financial burden of the app fee, which could rise to £10 per week, impacting drivers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. He questioned the necessity of the app, stating: "If this app is the best thing since sliced bread, why is Pendle the only area doing it?"

Independents and some Conservatives said the taxi safety phone app was untested.

Conservative leader Cllr Nadeem Ahmed called for a ‘middle ground’ approach, perhaps with paper checks.

Now councillors are to hold an extraordinary meeting to consider the Lib-Dems’ push for a no-confidence vote against Cllr Mahmood. If he is removed, a new council leader will have to be voted in.

Lib-Dem Cllr David Whipp, deputy council leader, said his group's demand for "improved taxi safety measures" was agreed last year but the decision to overturn the introduction of taxi safety checks this February "puts people’s lives at risk".

He added: "This is an unacceptable threat to public safety that must be addressed."

Cllr Whipp said his group was also calling for a re-set of other council priorities as the new Labour government prepared to reorganise local councils.

Cllr Kieran McGladdery, a Tory ex-taxi licensing committee chairman, resigned in December over the row accusing some within his party of "bad conduct or bad decisions”.

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The Portswood Project trial for the part time bus/taxi/cycle only restriction on Portswood Road is set to begin on Monday 27 January 2025

This follows the consultation on the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and other regulatory notices which took place in October and November 2024. 

This initiative, alongside the introduction of Active Travel Zones (ATZs) in neighbouring streets, aims to make Portswood District Centre a more attractive, accessible, and vibrant destination which can be more easily reached via public transport and active travel.

The part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road will be between the St Denys Road spur and Westridge Road. It will operate Monday to Saturday at peak times, between 7am and 10am in the morning and between 4pm and 7pm in the evening, with both the bus/taxi/cycle-only restriction and ATZs introduced on a trial basis for at least six months.

By restricting through traffic, the project aims to improve bus journey times and reliability, improve road safety and encourage people to spend more time and money in the District Centre.

In addition to buses, taxis and cycles, legal e-scooters, emergency vehicles, and statutory service vehicles such as gritters are permitted to use the restricted section of Portswood Road. 

The trial is being thoroughly monitored to understand any impacts on traffic and movement on the Portswood Road, in the ATZ and the wider area, as well as on the local economy and community. A monthly report will be published on the council website summarising any traffic changes during the trial.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has taken part in the public consultations on the Portswood Project as well as the members of the local steering group that has helped guide the project’s progress to this stage. We are conscious of the wide range of views that have been submitted through the consultations and these have informed the decision to trial the scheme.

“We appreciate that this trial represents a significant change for the local community, and we will be monitoring its effectiveness throughout. The project is expected to deliver significant benefits, including shorter journey times for buses, safer roads for people walking, wheeling and cycling and improvements to air quality and the overall environment for people who live, work or shop on Portswood Road.”

The Portswood Project aims to deliver improvements in this key travel corridor that support the delivery of the Local Transport Plan: Connected Southampton 2040.

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A woman in her 20s was left terrified after a taxi driver locked her inside the vehicle following a disagreement over the fare.

The incident occurred on Oakfield Corner, Hill Avenue, Amersham, around 4:15 pm on Sunday, December 22nd. The woman had entered the silver saloon car, believed to be a Mercedes, near the NatWest Bank.

According to Thames Valley Police, a dispute arose between the woman and the middle-aged Asian driver regarding the cost of the journey.

When the passenger decided to exit the taxi and take the bus instead, the driver locked the doors and refused to let her out.

"This was a frightening incident for the victim, who despite her ordeal, was not injured," said Investigating Officer PC Milla Thomson from Aylesbury police station.

The woman was eventually released from the vehicle after a crowd gathered around the taxi. The driver then sped away.

Police are appealing to witnesses, particularly those who formed the crowd or assisted the victim after the incident.

Anyone with information can contact police online or by calling 101, quoting reference 43240618707.

Alternatively, they can report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The incident is being investigated as a case of false imprisonment.

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