Man sentenced to over three years for knifepoint taxi driver robbery stealing £80 cash

Image credit: Cumbria Police

An Egremont man was sentenced today after the knifepoint robbery of a local taxi driver where he stole a bag containing just £80.

Curtis Baron, 27, has been sentenced to three years and four months following his guilty plea at a prior court session.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on 16 December last year when Baron, accompanied by another individual, boarded a taxi in Whitehaven. Their journey initially aimed for Mirehouse for the other passenger's drop-off before proceeding to Baron's destination in Egremont.

Upon reaching Main Street in Egremont, the taxi driver stopped to collect the fare. At this point, Baron requested a detour to Beck Green under the pretext of withdrawing cash. It was here that the situation escalated dramatically: Baron produced a knife, held it to the driver's neck, and demanded money while issuing threats to his life. The driver, under duress, pointed to a bag containing £60 to £80, which Baron promptly took.

In addition to the cash, Baron attempted to take the driver's mobile phone. When the driver resisted, Baron abandoned the demand but continued to threaten the driver against contacting the police before fleeing the scene.

Police officers swiftly responded to the incident, leading to Baron's arrest at his home address where he was discovered hiding in the attic. A search of his property resulted in the recovery of both the stolen money and the weapon used in the crime.

Detective Constable Alex Chalker investigating the case said: “Baron subjected the victim to a terrifying ordeal whilst he was doing his job.

“The use of a knife to intimidate people is completely unacceptable, and if used can have fatal consequences.

“We hope this sends a clear message to anyone making a conscious decision to carry a knife or commit this type of offence that we will do everything we can to bring criminals to justice.”