Peter Garland was a passenger in the victim's taxi when he carried out the robbery in Aberdeen. The 33-year-old has been jailed for four years after holding a knife to the driver's neck and taking a mobile phone.
Garland admitted assault at the High Court in Edinburgh. Lady Haldane said he would have faced a six-year jail term but for his guilty plea.
The taxi had been called in October last year before unemployed Garland carried out the crime in Rowan Road. Driver Michael Paterson picked up Garland and others, but when he pulled up during the journey he felt a sharp object at the side of his neck.
Garland later told an acquaintance:
I was the one with the knife. It is all on me.
Defence counsel Neil Shand said:
The accused is remorseful in regard to his actions. He recognises the effect that the offence had on the taxi driver.
What did the judge say about the attack?
Lady Haldane previously said it must have been a terrifying experience for the victim. The judge told Garland it was a serious offence committed against a background of persistent criminality.
Lady Haldane pointed out that Garland was assessed as posing a high risk of reoffending and told him:
In this case protection of the public is clearly a significant factor.
She ordered that Garland should be supervised and monitored in the community for a further two-year period after his release.
What else was included in the case?
The victim was taxi driver Michael Paterson, who was threatened during the journey in Rowan Road after being called out in October last year. Garland was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the attack, and the robbery involved the theft of a mobile phone.
The court heard that Garland had admitted assault at the High Court in Edinburgh. The sentence was reduced from six years to four years because of his guilty plea.
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Key Facts
- Peter Garland, 33, was jailed for four years at the High Court in Edinburgh.
- The robbery took place in Rowan Road, Aberdeen, in October last year.
- Taxi driver Michael Paterson was threatened with a knife at the side of his neck.
- Garland admitted assault and received a reduced sentence because of his guilty plea.
- He will be supervised and monitored in the community for two years after release.
