JAILED: Mechanic beat up Wolverhampton taxi driver who refused to take friend home
A 'highly skilled' motor sport mechanic has been jailed for launching a savage attack on a taxi driver when he refused to take his 'very drunk' colleague home.
Furious Gregory Senior hurled a glass at the taxi as it started to leave without the customer, who had collapsed after being sick during a work Christmas party, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The 42-year-old then raced across the car park to repeatedly kick and punch the driver, Mr Harvinder Singh, who had stopped to protest at the missile being thrown.
Friends quickly ushered Senior away from the fracas, leaving the bloodied victim slumped in the car with a fractured right eye socket.
Trouble flared in Warstones Drive, Penn, near the Indigo restaurant, shortly before midnight on December 4, said Mr Gareth Walters, prosecuting.
He added: "The defendant had been at an enjoyable works Christmas meal but a member of the group had drunk too much and was unwell in the restaurant. This man was taken outside where he effectively collapsed.
"A taxi was called to take him home but when the driver saw the state of the man he refused to take him and started to drive off. At this point the defendant threw a glass after him.
"The taxi drove on a little way before stopping. The driver was getting out when the defendant ran over to him and punched and kicked him."
Self-employed Mr Singh needed an operation on the injured eye, followed by 15 hospital appointments and said the incident had cost him around £7,000 in lost wages, the court was told.
Mr Walters added: "He has suffered from flash backs, loss of sleep and anxiety when picking up passengers."
Miss Jodie Smith, defending father-of-two-Senior, said: "He is horrified by what he has done. He is a mature, responsible man who was trying to play the role of Good Samaritan. He had been drinking sensibly but another person got so intoxicated that he passed out.
"He is horrified by what he then did. He clearly has anger management problems."
Senior, from Rose Hill, Willenhall – whose offer of £3,000 compensation for the victim was accepted by the court – pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was sent to prison by Judge John Wait for 14 months.
