Aberdeen taxi driver spends Christmas Day in A&E after passenger bites his finger ‘to the bone’

Police are investigating after Abdullah ER claims he was attacked by a fare-dodging passenger.

By Louise Glen

December 29 2024, 4:22 pm

Abdullah ER was left in shock after being attacked. Image: Supplied.

An Aberdeen taxi driver spent his Christmas Day in A&E after a passenger bit his finger “to the bone”.

Abdullah ER – who is a self-employed driver for Rainbow City Taxis – picked up a hire in the Riverside of Blairs area on Wednesday evening to take a fare into to the city-centre.

The 39-year-old driver said his customer – a young man – was waiting by the side of the road when he picked him up on Dee View.

Mr ER told The Press and Journal how the customer had his face covered for the entirety of the journey.

But he said he wasn’t concerned as he had picked up the fare from a “good area”.

Mr ER said he arrived in town at Bon Accord Street at exactly 8.12pm, stopping the cab at the destination to take payment.

The fare was £23.80 taking into account it was Christmas Day.

Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen. — The incident happened on Bon Accord Street in Aberdeen. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

However instead of stumping up the cash, Mr ER claims the customer attacked him.

“The customer didn’t want to pay for the taxi,” he recalled.

“He asked me ‘do you accept American Express?’ I said ‘yes’.

“He tried to pay with a purple card by phone – he tapped the card and left the car without waiting for payment confirmation.

“The card payment was declined.

“I called him – ‘mate your card was declined’ but he didn’t want to listen to me and walked away.”

Aberdeen taxi driver attacked and bitten

Mr ER caught up with the man and repeated that his card had been declined.

“He started punching me. When I tried to stop him he bit my right index finger very deeply. I shouted at him to stop it,” he recalled.

“He stopped biting me and ran away. My finger was bleeding on both sides.”

After contacting the police, Mr ER sat in A&E for several hours with officers.

Aberdeen taxi driver finger after assault. — Abdullah ER claims a customer bit his finger to the bone after refusing to pay his cab fair. Image: Supplied.

Because of how deeply his finger was bitten – “to the bone” – he was given emergency treatment for damage and Hepatitis B injections in both arms.

He is now on a course of treatment for six months, and antibiotics for the next week.

Mr ER has already had to attend follow-up appointments with a GP because of his injury.

A bandaged finger beloning to Abdullah ER. — Adullah ER is now on a prolonged course of medication. Image: Supplied.

The taxi driver could not praise police officers highly enough, saying: “Thank you very much to the police for everything.”

Police Scotland confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “About 8.15pm on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, we were called to a report of a 39-year-old man having been assaulted in Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen.

“Officers attended and inquiries are ongoing.”