Two men jailed for threatening to cut taxi driver's throat during terrifying robbery

Two men have been jailed for threatening to cut a taxi driver's throat during a terrifying robbery.

Ryan Keen, 25, of no fixed abode, and his partner in crime Gary Crawley, 31, of Fareham, have been sentenced to three years each in jail.

The pair pleaded guilty to carrying out the robbery on Queens Road, Fareham, just before 2am on Monday 30 September 2019.

The court heard that the two men got into the taxi at West Street in the early hours of the morning. Ryan Keen, who was in the back of the car, reached forward and pressed the phone against the throat of the victim, a 29-year-old man from Fareham.

The pair then demanded the driver give them all of his money, whilst making threats to cut the victim.

Believing the item held to his neck was a knife, the driver handed over more than £100 and his mobile phone.

The court were played dashcam footage of the terrifying ordeal and heard the pair threaten the victim with serious violence. ​

On Monday 9 March they were sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Detective Constable David Midgley said: “This was initially a fast-paced investigation into what was a frightening ordeal for the taxi driver.

“The victim’s quick thinking and immediate call to the police meant local officers were able arrest the suspects nearby.

“The offenders had deliberately targeted a lone worker and made him believe a knife was being used against him.

“Thanks to the taxi company having on-board cameras, both defendants had to accept their fate and entered guilty pleas. 

"This sentence shows that the Criminal Justice System deal with public place violence crime robustly.

"We hope our swift action on this case reassures those living and working in the area that we will take action against those who threaten our communities."

Image credit: Hampshire Constabulary