Police trace violent robber after he failed to disconnect taxi tracking device from stolen equipment

Image credit: Humberside Police

A man who violently attacked a cabbie while the vehicle was moving and then went on to steal his personal digital assistant device (PDA), used for accessing fares, has been jailed for a total of 44 months.

Jordan Rodriguies, 27, jumped in a cab along with a friend on 24 June in Bransholme.

While enroute to their destination, Rodriquies grabbed the driver around the neck and began punching him, while demanding the cabbie hand over money. The cab driver was able to stop the vehicle and try to fend off his attacker.

As the driver struggled to breathe, Rodriquies continued to punch him in the head.

Realising the driver was not going to hand over his money easily, Rodriquies opted to steal the vehicle's PDA device instead, before scrambling from the scene.

Officers easily found Rodriguies, after he failed to remove the batteries from the location-tracker within the PDA.

Police were called to attend Rodriguies' location, where they found him in bed and the device nearby, with the batteries belatedly removed. He was subsequently arrested.

Once at the police station, Rodriguies once again became aggressive and spat at the perspex screen erected to protect officers at the desk. A spit hood was placed over his head, but he carried on spitting into it.

He then attempted to headbutt one of the officers, who luckily managed to dodge out of the way. Rodriguies was tackled to the ground, at which point he began crying and said he would behave.

Rodriguies, who had 15 prior convictions for 21 offences, including assault, weapons offences and theft, and had only been released from prison in May, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court to 40 months in jail for robbery, to be served consecutively with four months for assaulting an emergency worker.