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Posted on the 19th May 2025 in PHTM News
RACIST RAMPAGE MAN FINED AFTER TRASHING STAFFS TAXI WHEN DRIVER REFUSED A50 TRIP
A 53-year-old man, Andrew Dolan, has been slapped with a £1,152 court bill after he unleashed a racist tirade and violently damaged a taxi in Longton.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that Dolan and another man entered the taxi outside the Last Orders pub around 11pm on April 18th.
The court was told Dolan, who sat in the front, demanded to be taken to the A50 to meet his wife. However, the driver explained he needed a postcode and required the fare upfront.
Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail detailed Dolan's explosive reaction: "This made the defendant become angry and aggressive. The driver asked for £25 before they left.
"The defendant got angry and shouted at the complainant. The defendant got out of the taxi and slammed the front passenger door with force. He continued to shout through the open window.
"He then kicked the taxi twice with full force causing dents to the door. The estimated cost of repair was £400. He kicked the window causing it to shatter. Some of the glass came into contact with the driver.
"It cost £150 to fix the window. The driver was left with a small cut but there was no charge to reflect that."
Police were called and located Dolan nearby, arresting him for criminal damage. During the journey to custody, Dolan reportedly used racist language, leading to an additional charge.
Dolan, from Uttoxeter, admitted to criminal damage and racially-aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress.
His defence lawyer, Joanne Corbett, argued that Dolan was "heavily intoxicated" and that his anxiety was heightened because his wife was "stranded in traffic on the A50" and suffers from "extreme anxiety."
Corbett added: "He wanted to find her, to get her home and back to safety. He accepts he should not have said what he did and he should not have kicked the taxi."
Despite the mitigation, magistrates imposed a compensation order of £550, a £369 fine, £85 in costs, and a £148 surcharge.
Chairman of the bench Chris Rushton condemned Dolan's actions, stating: "This was an awful escapade. Taxi drivers do not deserve to be treated like that. In a way they are a public servant. They are doing their job."
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