A man who robbed a taxi driver with a screwdriver has been jailed for more than two years.
Steven Gribble, 26, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted holding the screwdriver to the man’s neck and robbing him of around £50 in cash.
Gribble, who has a record of previous convictions, demanded the money after requesting the taxi driver take him to an ATM where he discovered his bank account was empty.
It was stated that Gribble handed himself into police days later, where he claimed the recent death of a family member had caused him to “lose his head” and commit the “disgraceful” offence.
Accused demanded money
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that the taxi driver began his shift at 4.15pm on February 19 last year, with him completing a number of fares before getting pick-up request from an address in Smithfield Court, Aberdeen.
As he arrived, Gribble and another man entered the taxi with both of them sitting in the rear. They requested to be taken to an ATM on Rosehill Drive.
Arriving at the destination, Gribble exited and used the ATM and returned to the taxi.
Shortly after he returned, the taxi driver saw Gribble intimate to the other passenger that ‘the money wasn’t in’.
Gribble then requested to be taken to Dominies Road, which was nearby, because someone was meeting him there with money.
When the taxi came to a stop on Dominies Road, the driver heard Gribble and the other passenger whispering to each other and became wary of their intentions.
Robber handed himself in
Gribble then produced a screwdriver and held it menacingly towards the taxi driver’s neck while demanding money.
As this was going on, the other passenger also informed the driver that: “I’ve got something at your back as well.”
The driver then felt an object prod into the lower right side of his back but was unable to see what it was.
Gribble continued to make demands for cash and the driver handed over around £50 in cash.
The pair then warned him not to contact the police before exiting the taxi and running off across North Anderson Drive.
On February 22, Gribble walked into Kittybrewster Police Station to hand himself in.
He was cautioned and arrested on suspicion of assault and robbery, to which Gribble replied: “It was a stupid, stupid mistake. That’s how I’ve come down to deal with it like a man.
“I want to be punished for this, I shouldn’t have done it. I’ve lost my head since I lost my auntie and I’m struggling to process it.”
In the dock, Gribble pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and robbery with a weapon.
‘Absolutely disgraceful’
Defence solicitor Neil McRobert told the court that in the period building up to this offence his client had been “using illicit drugs”.
“On this date he was trying to source more drugs to consume, there was no plan in advance to commit this offence,” the solicitor said.
He added: “Mr Gribble had gone to the bank to withdraw money and anticipated the money would be there, but it wasn’t.
“It was at that point he made the decision to commit this offence – which was absolutely disgraceful.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan described Gribble’s actions as a “disgraceful crime” on a taxi driver who was “simply carrying out his duties”.
“I think it’s fair to say the court needs to make it clear that people such as the complainer in this case would be provided with the protection of the court in the sense that if people like you commit serious crimes like this there will be serious consequences,” the sheriff said.
“It seems to me in this case that a deterrent sentence is required, and I’ve reached the conclusion without any difficulty whatsoever that a prison sentence is inevitable in this case.”
Sheriff Buchanan jailed Gribble, of Smithfield Drive, Aberdeen, for two years and eight months.
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