Two men have been jailed after a taxi driver was restrained, punched in the head and robbed of his mobile phone during an incident in Lincoln earlier this year.
Lincolnshire Police said Liam O’Leary, 46, and Shane McHale, 23, were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on 18 August 2026 after both pleaded guilty to robbery. The offence took place on 31 March on Dixon Street.
Police said the taxi driver was restrained and punched to the head, causing him to bleed, before his mobile phone was taken. A witness became aware of what was happening and alerted the police.
Officers were able to use tracking information from the stolen phone, together with CCTV enquiries, to trace the suspects to a nearby flat. Police said both men were located there and the stolen phone was also recovered.
O’Leary was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, while McHale received a sentence of three years and two months.
The case is another reminder of the risks taxi and private hire drivers can face while working alone, particularly when carrying passengers late at night. In this incident, the rapid report from a witness and the ability to track the stolen phone helped officers identify and arrest those responsible.
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