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Passenger jailed after ‘wicked lie’ and bottle attack on taxi driver over unpaid fare
A 21-year-old passenger who wounded a taxi driver while attempting to avoid payment has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
Lucas Simpson attacked the driver with a glass bottle after travelling with his girlfriend from Blackburn to Darwen on 16 July 2024.
According to Lancs Live, the driver followed Simpson after he left the vehicle without paying. Simpson swung one bottle at him before striking him above the eye with another during a struggle. The driver required hospital treatment and was left with a permanent scar.
Simpson admitted making off without payment but denied wounding with intent. During his trial at Preston Crown Court, he claimed the driver had behaved improperly towards his girlfriend.
The jury rejected his account and convicted him.
Judge Robert Altham said CCTV showed the driver was trying to recover payment and posed no threat. He described Simpson’s allegation against the driver as a “wicked lie” intended to get him out of trouble.
The driver said he lost £40 in takings that night and now feels nervous when younger passengers enter his taxi because he fears what they might do.
