CAB DRIVER STRUCK BY FARE EVADER

AN ELDERLY taxi driver was hit in the face with a bag during a dispute over a fare.

The driver — aged in his mid-70s — had driven Norlane man Gregory Smith around Geelong on the afternoon of November 27.

But when it came time to pay the $39 fare, Smith’s Cabcharge card repeatedly declined. The 38-year-old made a run for it on Moorabool St, before clashing with the driver and hitting him in the face with his bag.

The driver suffered multiple cuts to his head in the assault.

Smith pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday to an assault charge stemming from the incident.

He also pleaded guilty to a series of shop thefts, including multiple cases where he stole baby formula.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Siobhan Daly told the court a strong sentence was warranted for an attack on a man who was “simply doing his job”.

The November incident came months before Smith started stealing baby formula from Geelong stores.

Lawyer Amie Hancock said the thefts were committed so Smith could buy his eightyear-old son a PlayStation for his birthday.

She said her client was a diagnosed schizophrenic who had struggled with a serious heroin addiction.

Smith, a qualified bricklayer, will return to court tomorrow for sentencing.