Police are appealing for information after a 34-year-old taxi driver was punched repeatedly and knocked unconscious in Wavertree, Liverpool, after a group of passengers refused to pay their fare.
The driver had picked up the group from a restaurant on Mill Lane at around 11.30pm on Saturday 11 July, before dropping them at their destination on Picton Road. When they arrived, the group failed to pay the full fare. According to Merseyside Police, when the driver challenged them over it, the group ran back to the taxi, shouted and swore at him, and punched him repeatedly in the face before running off.
The driver reportedly lost consciousness, and members of the public came to his aid before he was taken to hospital with a facial injury.
Detective Inspector Jemma Berry described it as a nasty and unprovoked assault on a man who was simply trying to do his job. Officers have since released images of two men they believe could help with their enquiries, and forensic and witness investigations are ongoing.
It’s a stark reminder of the abuse drivers can face for doing nothing more than asking to be paid for the journey they’ve just completed, and yet another case that will resonate with cabbies right across Merseyside and beyond.
Anyone who recognises the men in the police images, or who has any information, is urged to contact Merseyside Police.
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