A frightful encounter engulfed a female taxi driver when a drunk passenger, who refused to pay the fare, attacked her.
Holly Hart, the passenger, resorted to spitting at the driver before physically assaulting her by dragging her out of the taxi and landing a punch.
A resident of Etive Crescent in Wishaw, Hart, 38, was produced from custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court the successive Friday.
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Hart pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim near the Asda supermarket in Newmains on January 17, 2021.
The prosecutor, Aga Mathieson, described this incident happening around 1am following a disagreement.
Mathieson reported to the court: “The accused refused to clear the fare.
“The fearful driver drove to Asda, a well-lit location with a few taxis in the vicinity.
“She warned Hart that the journey would be discontinued if the fare remained unsettled. Hart retaliated by spitting towards her before hopping out.
“Amidst the panic, the driver tried to lock the doors and attempted to alert the cab controller via the panic button. But before she could achieve this, Hart viciously grabbed her by the hair, pulled her out of the taxi, and hurled a punch at her.”
“The police arrived shortly after the incident, the accused was found in close proximity. The taxi driver was noticed to be quite shaken and scared.”
Hart’s defence counsel, Stephen MacBride, explained that her intoxication led to her poor recollection of the incident.
The attorney added: “Her criminal record is free of assault charges. This must have been a disquieting experience for the driver, but she fortunately escaped any injuries.”
Besides admitting to the assault, Hart also confessed to failing to appear for the court case on two separate occasions.
Since October 31, after being apprehended for a non-appearance, Hart has been in custody.
Sheriff Michael Higgins postponed the sentencing until next month while awaiting background reports, and Hart remains in custody until then.
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