Taxi Driver Assault

14 December 2010, 14:24

Police are appealing for information about an assault and robbery of a taxi driver in Portsmouth. One description is of someone resembling Ricky Butcher from Eastenders.

The victim, Mr Hasan Wahid, 29, was attacked around 10.10pm, Thursday, December 9, by a customer he had picked up moments earlier in Fratton.

He was flagged down at one end of St Mary’s Road in his silver Skoda Octavia around 9.50pm and drove to Whitcombe Gardens at the other end of the road.

When they arrived, the customer disputed the fare and assaulted Mr Wahid. Two more men appeared and forced him to hand over around £22 in takings before all three continued the attack.

Mr Wahid eventually managed to push them off, lock the car and drive off. He suffered cuts and bruises.

 He described the men as:

white, aged 25-30, slim, 5ft 7ins tall, short fair hair, wearing  black jacket

white, aged 25-30, 5ft 5ins tall, longer fair hair, resembled the character of Ricky Butcher from Eastenders

white, 25-30

Detective Constable Amanda Waite from Portsmouth CID said:  “This was a completely unprovoked attacked on a man while he was trying to do his job. “Failing to pay the fare is bad enough without the subsequent physical attack that followed. “It happened in a residential area and I’d ask anyone living or visiting Whitcombe Gardens last Thursday evening to think if they saw anything that may link to this investigation.”

 Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Waite at Fratton police station on 101 or the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.