A man and a woman have been jailed after admitting to robbing a taxi driver at knifepoint in Coatbridge.
The incident took place in the early hours of 9 September last year, when Mark Doyle, 36, and Jamie Lee Black, 29, booked a taxi shortly after 1am.
The Robbery
During their appearance at Airdrie Sheriff Court, both Doyle and Black pleaded guilty to assaulting the male driver and robbing him of cash and car keys.
Prosecutor Kevin Morrow told the court that the pair had entered the cab and asked to be driven to Manse Street. “Then the two accused presented knives and Doyle said: ‘give us all your money’,” he explained.
Doyle took around £200 in fares from a pencil case in the car’s door pocket, along with the ignition keys, before he and Black fled the scene.
Arrest and Court Hearing
The pair were tracked down an hour later at an address on Langloan Street. Black was found with more than £80 in notes and coins, and reportedly told police: “We were only going out for fags. I didn’t know he was going to do this.”
Sentencing has been deferred until next month while background reports are prepared. Due to the seriousness of the crime, Sheriff Derek Livingston remanded both Doyle and Black in custody, refusing to extend bail.
The case has once again highlighted the dangers faced by taxi drivers, who are often left vulnerable when working alone at night.
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