WATCH FOOTAGE: Woman jailed after stealing taxi and crashing into multiple vehicles including a police car
- Perry Richardson
- 53 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A woman who stole a taxi after its driver briefly left the vehicle to locate an address has been jailed for nearly two years following a series of offences across Norfolk, including assaults on emergency workers and criminal damage at a police station.
Mia Stebbings, 25, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on 22 May after admitting multiple offences including aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, criminal damage and assaulting emergency workers.
The most serious incident occurred on 18 March 2026 when Stebbings hired a taxi from Norwich Bus Station to Dereham. Upon arrival, the taxi driver left the vehicle to find the address provided by the passenger. While the driver was away from the vehicle, Stebbings moved into the driver’s seat and drove off.
Within minutes, police received reports that the stolen taxi had collided with another vehicle on Commercial Road in Dereham, triggering further damage to several parked cars. An off-duty police officer provided first aid at the scene before emergency services arrived.
Offender handed 22-month prison sentence after taking a taxi, causing a series of collisions and assaulting emergency workers in separate incidents
Stebbings was taken to hospital for medical assessment before being arrested. She was subsequently charged with aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Investigators later reviewed footage from the taxi’s dashcam and discovered Stebbings had also driven into the side of a police vehicle outside Dereham Police Station during the incident.
The court also heard details of two earlier offences. On 15 March 2026, officers at North Walsham Police Station responded after hearing banging noises coming from a rear access door. Stebbings was found behind the door after smashing glass panels with a hammer. She was later charged with criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon and being unlawfully on enclosed premises.
A separate incident took place on 24 September 2025 when two paramedics attending a medical emergency at a public house in North Walsham were verbally and physically assaulted by Stebbings. She was charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
For all offences combined, Stebbings received a total sentence of 22 months’ imprisonment. The court also imposed a 35-month driving disqualification and ordered her to pay a £187 victim surcharge.
