Taxi driver battered unconscious by hammer-wielding robbers who stole cash to buy drugs

A taxi driver was battered unconscious by a pair of 'dangerous' hammer-wielding robbers who stole £130 from him to spend on drugs.

Marc Mackie, 31, and Connor Sinclair, 22, subjected the defenceless cabbie to the terrifying attack after booking him to pick them up.

Newcastle Crown Court heard one of them attacked him while the other rummaged around and stole all his takings, Chronicle Live reports.

The victim, who lost consciousness for a time, was left with a broken nose, cuts to his face and swelling behind his ear, which has left him with hearing loss.

Alec Burns, prosecuting, said it was around 2.20am on April 11 when the taxi driver was sent to a job outside a Chinese takeaway in South Shields.

Mr Burns told the court: "When he got there, one of the men claimed he had a flat tyre and he got out to look and went round the back of the car.

"One of the defendants got in the back but got out quickly and they both attacked him, striking him to the head and face.

"They grabbed him and he saw one of the men had a hammer in his hand and the defendant punched him in the face with his free hand.

"The other man was in the car looking for money and asking where it was. In fact they had all of the money, £130."

The victim, whose shoes came off in the attack, went to hospital, where he was found to have a broken nose, which required stitches, cuts to his temple and mouth and swelling behind his ear.

CCTV footage shows Sinclair returning home with the hammer and covered in blood.

Mr Burns said: "He says he didn't think it would happen to him by a customer.

"He says if the people had asked him, he would have given them money, they didn't have to do this.

"He is now scared to work and his family fear him going to work in case it happens again. He fears he will get even more seriously injured.

"He feels the physical and psychological impact will stay with him and his family for some time to come."

The taxi driver said in a victim impact statement that his hearing had not returned to normal six months after the attack and he is worried it may be a permanent.

He has also lost any feeling in the tip of his nose, which was stitched.

The court heard Mackie used to be in the army but was dishonourably discharged after assaulting two colleagues.

Gavin Doig, defending, said: "He has shown himself unable to control his substance misuse.

"There is good in this young man. He served in the army for a number of years after leaving school."

Christopher Knox, for Sinclair, said he "fell through gaps in the system and has had Covid-19 while remanded in custody.

Both men, from South Shields, admitted robbery.

Mackie also admitted possessing a knife when he was arrested.

Mackie, who has 20 previous convictions, including a shop robbery in 2018 and Sinclair, who has 49 previous convictions, were both branded dangerous by Judge Amanda Rippon.

The judge locked up Mackie for six years plus and extended licence period of a further two years. He must serve at least two-thirds of the six years as he is classed as dangerous.

Sinclair was jailed for five years and two months with an extended licence period of a further two years and eight months. He must serve at least two-thirds of the five years two months.

Judge Rippon said: "This was a planned attack by you on a taxi driver, a man working to provide a public service and necessarily vulnerable, as a result, to this kind of attack.

"Taxi drivers deserve, and will get, the court's protection.

"You both hit him about the head as he sat in the driver's seat and he was dragged out of the car and lost consciousness for a short time and his shoes came off.

He suffered a nasty head injury, a broken nose with cuts and swelling.

"He could see a hammer in the hand he was clenching onto, in the hand of one of the attackers, and he thought he was going to die.

"You did all of this for some money for a few drugs. For £130 you caused all this pain and suffering."

Sinclair was asked to read a letter he had written, in which he said: "I'm disgusted with myself for what I put the poor taxi driver through and I accept everything that's coming to me.

"I would like to say sorry to the taxi driver. This should not have happened. I know saying sorry won't change anything but I really am sorry."

He added that he is getting help for anger and alcohol issues and is embarrassed with himself.
Mirror