Three arrests made after private hire driver stabbed in the eye

Police have arrested three people after a private hire driver was attacked and stabbed in the eye with a stilletto heel.

West Midlands police have confirmed that they have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, an 18-year-old woman on suspicion of assault and an 18-year a woman on suspicion of theft. 

All three suspects have been released pending further investigation.

TaxiPoint reported on December 18 how PHV driver Afaq Iftikhar, 32, picked up four women and a man from the Arcadian Centre, Birmingham in the early hours of Saturday morning, and was then forced to pull over after one of the women began vomiting in his vehicle in Upper Dean Street, sometime between 3.50 and 4.25am.

After asking his passengers to leave the vehicle, he saw one of the women stealing money from the front of his vehicle.

He was then viciously attacked after threatening to call the police. The driver was kicked and punched by two of the passengers which resulted in head injuries, as well as a ruptured eye after being stabbed with a stilletto heel.

It is feared that Mr Iftikhar could now be permanently blind.

Anyone with information can contact West Midlands police at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am to midnight, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please quote crime reference 20BW/292039C/18.