Posted on the 9th November 2026 in PHTM News
PROLIFIC NEWPORT OFFENDER JAILED AFTER THREATENING CABBIE AT KNIFEPOINT AND CAUSING CRASH
A serial driving offender who stole a taxi at knifepoint, drove the wrong way along a road, and crashed head-on into an innocent motorist has been jailed for 20 months.
Leon Gladdis, 29, from Newport, was sentenced at the Isle of Wight Crown Court after admitting a series of dangerous offences across Devon and the Isle of Wight.
The crime spree began on 26 October 2025 in Westward Ho!, when taxi driver Matthew Watson drove Gladdis and another man to Bideford. The pair claimed they needed to collect a credit card to pay the fare, but when Mr Watson approached the address, they rushed at him in a threatening manner - one allegedly armed with a knife - before stealing his white Ford Mondeo taxi.
Hours later, Gladdis drove the stolen vehicle on the wrong side of the A386 between Bideford and Torrington, colliding head-on with a Mitsubishi Colt. The female driver suffered multiple injuries that left her unable to work for several weeks, while the taxi was written off.
In a moving victim impact statement, Mr Watson described the severe financial and emotional toll of the robbery, saying:"I feel sick to my stomach. It's cruel how the actions of two people could have such a huge impact on my life."
Having initially denied the charges, Gladdis changed his plea to guilty on 28 August, admitting aggravated vehicle taking causing injury, driving while disqualified, taking a vehicle without consent, driving without due care and attention, and driving without insurance.
Before facing justice for the Devon attack, Gladdis committed further offences on the Isle of Wight on 14 July. After a member of the public spotted him behind the wheel of an stolen Nissan with a beer in his hand, police officers intervened on Medina Avenue in Newport.
Gladdis brazenly shouted "see ya" to an officer, mounted a pavement to escape, and abandoned the vehicle on a footpath. On 29 October, he pleaded guilty to five related charges, including taking a vehicle without consent, failing to stop, and careless driving.
The court heard Gladdis has a "horrendous" record of 38 previous convictions for 77 offences, including ten for driving while disqualified - eight of which occurred in the past six years alone.
He was previously jailed in September 2023, and again in November 2024 after crashing a car in Ryde and fleeing the scene.
Defending barrister Oscar Vincent cited Gladdis's difficult upbringing, mental health struggles, and recent sobriety, adding that his client was "fed up of custody" and desperate to live a normal life.
Passing sentence, Judge Ashworth condemned Gladdis for posing a persistent danger to other road users. He jailed him for 16 months for the Devon crash and an additional four months for the Isle of Wight incident, bringing the total sentence to 20 months.
Gladdis was also banned from driving for 54 months and must pass an extended driving test before ever returning to the road.
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