Taxi driver stabbed and robbed of vehicle at knifepoint as Salford man jailed
- Perry Richardson
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
A man from Salford has been jailed after robbing a taxi driver at knifepoint and stabbing him in the leg before stealing his vehicle in Cheshire.
Daniel Eckersley, 39, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 6 March where he was sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment. Eckersley, who also used the names Daniel Brein and Daniel Bryan, had previously pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a knife in a public place, drink driving and driving without insurance.
The court heard that at around 9.51pm on 6 December 2025, Eckersley knocked on the door of an address on Dragon’s Lane in the Moston area and asked the occupant to order him a taxi. He was intoxicated at the time and left the address when the vehicle arrived.
Moments later the resident heard screaming outside. Looking from the window, she saw Eckersley punching the taxi driver during a violent confrontation. During the attack he gained control of the vehicle and drove away from the scene towards Middlewich.
Dashcam footage helped secure conviction after violent attack left driver injured during late-night robbery in Cheshire.
The witness immediately contacted Cheshire Police to report the incident. The taxi driver also called officers shortly afterwards, stating that he had been robbed and stabbed in the leg by the passenger.
Officers located the stolen taxi less than three miles from where it had been taken. A knife was discovered in the passenger footwell of the vehicle.
The injured driver told officers that the attacker had been wearing a grey tracksuit and a baseball cap. Police began searching the area and around 40 minutes later officers from the constabulary’s Firearms Unit were approached by a member of the public who reported seeing a man matching the description at a pub in Middlewich.
Enquiries later confirmed that a man fitting the description had entered the premises at around 10.17pm before leaving shortly afterwards and heading to another nearby pub.
At 10.45pm, less than an hour after the robbery, an officer from the constabulary’s Roads and Crime Unit spotted the suspect and approached him. The intoxicated man identified himself as Daniel Bryan.
A roadside breath test showed that Eckersley was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit. Officers arrested him on suspicion of drink driving and later confirmed he was also wanted for a robbery in Greater Manchester.
Following the arrest, detectives recovered two SD cards from dashcams installed in the taxi. Footage from the cameras showed Eckersley threatening the driver before stabbing him in the leg during the robbery.
Eckersley was later charged with the offences and provided no-comment responses during police interview.
Detective Constable Vickie Wallace said: “No one should go to work expecting to go through such a terrifying situation as the one Daniel Eckersley subjected his victim to in December of last year.
“We may never know Eckersley’s motivation for threatening an unsuspecting taxi driver and stealing his vehicle, but it was undoubtedly fuelled by the considerable amount of alcohol he had consumed.
“This case highlights the importance of having dashcams in your vehicle, especially if you are involved in taxi services or any occupation that requires engaging with the public for long periods.
“The footage from the dashcams — capturing Eckersley’s initial threats, the stabbing, and the theft of the vehicle — was vital evidence that helped us secure this sentence.”
