Taxi driver was ‘chased by passenger with knife’

Taxi driver was ‘chased by passenger with knife’

The 58-year-old told the JEP that the incident had left him badly shaken, unable to sleep at night and fearful of working again after dark. The driver, who asked not to be named, said it was a ‘horrifying night’ and the worst experience of his life.

He said he collected the passenger in town last Friday evening and that the man asked to be taken to Gorey, but when they got to the destination he claimed he needed to get the money for the fare from his mother.

‘I asked him to leave his phone, but he said he had no phone,’ the driver said. ‘Then he just ran towards Grouville main road.’ The driver parked his vehicle and went to look for him. He spotted his passenger going into a property and went to knock at the door.

When he partially opened the door, the passenger allegedly refused to pay and began hurling abuse. He turned to go into the house and the driver said he saw the man grab a knife from a block in the kitchen.

‘I turned and ran. He pursued me, running after me in the street with a knife.

‘I was pretty emotional. He was shouting and screaming. You hear the expression, run for your life, I was really running for my life.

‘I was fast. I was worried he would catch me and stab me.’

The driver said the man eventually gave up the chase and he was able to get to his car and call the police from a petrol station.

An armed response unit was sent and the States police confirmed yesterday that a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grave and criminal assault.

The man has since been released on bail.

But the driver said he had been struggling to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

‘I can’t sleep,’ he said. ‘I won’t be going out this weekend, with the bank holiday, you know people will be drinking.’

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