Taking a taxi, you're doing it wrong

A 21-year-old Fraser man has been arrested after assaulting a taxi driver and stealing his taxi in Canberra’s north early this morning (Monday, April 9).

About 12:30am the man and a 20-year-old woman were travelling in a taxi along Belconnen Way in Macquarie. An argument started between the pair, during which the woman jumped from the moving vehicle.

The taxi driver immediately stopped the vehicle to render assistance to the woman. As the driver walked towards the couple he was punched in the face by the man.

The man then placed the woman in the rear seat of the taxi, got into the driver’s seat and drove off.

A short time later, Police, with the assistance of the taxi company, located the taxi at Calvary Hospital.

The man and woman were located in the waiting room of the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital.

The man was arrested and tested positive to a breath screening test. He was taken back to the Belconnen Police Station where he recorded an Alcohol Content (AC) of 0.086. Enquiries revealed that the man does not hold and has never held a driver’s licence.

The man was taken to the ACT Watch House where he was charged with common assault, take motor vehicle without consent, special driver prescribed concentration of alcohol in breath and unlicenced driver.

He is due to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]