Three years in jail for attacker who caused Cabbie to crash down an embankment during assault

A passenger who was high on alcohol and drugs has been sentenced to three years in jail for causing the cab he was riding in to crash down an embankment. 27-year-old Alfie McGurk attacked cab driver Piotr Tadeuszewkis after a night out in Stirling, Scotland. The court heard that McGurk stuck his fingers into the mouth of Tadeuszewkis causing him to veer off the road and smash into a pole before rolling down an embankment. According to a report in the Falkirk Herald, McGurk had fallen asleep in the back of the cab and when he was woken to confirm his exact destination he became agitated about losing £20. McGurk then moved across to sit behind Mr Tadeuszewkis, this is where he launched his attack. Grabbing the driver with both hands, McGurk stuck his finger into the mouth of his victim in a fishhook type motion. Unable to control the vehicle during the attack, Mr Tadeuszewkis drove the cab into a telegraph pole before rolling down an embankment. Tadeuszewkis managed to free himself from his cab and run to a nearby house, where he told the owner that McGurk was trying to kill him. The police arrived and eventually found McGurk in a farm outbuilding. During his arrest, McGurk became abusive, hurling racial and homophobic insults at the officers. Defending McGurk, Harry Couchlin said that his client had fallen into using drink and drugs since the breakup with his partner. Tadeuszewkis was left with severe injuries including a broken rib during the attack which took place on July 3. Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court, McGurk pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Tadeuszewkis causing severe injury, robbing him of his driver’s log, racially aggravated threatening behaviour and police assault. Sheriff John Mundy sentenced him to three years in jail, backdated to July 5.