Woman held cabbie at knifepoint in mugging
A WOMAN has been jailed after robbing a Manchester cabbie at knifepoint.
Angela Hughes stole the driver’s wallet, mobile phone, car keys and a small amount of cash.
Police described it as a ‘terrifying ordeal.’
It came after she got into the cab in the Cheshire town of Winsford in the early hours of Thursday, November 29.
She asked the taxi driver – a man aged 36 from Manchester – to drive her to Crook Lane, but when they arrived she pulled out a knife and mugged him.
But the robbery was witnessed by a member of the public, who reported it to the police.
Officers were called to the scene and found Hughes nearby in possession of the stolen items and money.
Hughes, 41, of Pentland Close, Winsford, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a knife in a public place at Chester Crown Court and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Following the sentencing, Det Con Claire Heatley said: “Hughes subjected the taxi driver to a terrifying ordeal, threatening him with a knife and demanding cash soon after he had taken the ill-fated fare.
“She stole his phone and his car keys but thankfully the incident was witnessed by a member of the public. They called the police and officers were able to locate and arrest Hughes a short distance away.
“Motivated by a desire for money, she was only able to steal a small amount of cash from the taxi driver. It has cost her dearly as she has now been jailed for four-and-a-half years for the robbery. I am delighted that Hughes has received a substantial custodial sentence and I hope that this brings some closure to the victim. I also hope that the sentence serves as a deterrent to other people and stops them from committing similar crimes, and that it sends out a strong message that knife crime will not be tolerated.
“At Cheshire Constabulary we are committed to doing all we can to tackle knife crime.
“We will respond robustly to any knife related incidents and ensure that anyone found to be carrying a knife or committing a knife related offence is brought to justice.
“But the police cannot beat knife crime without the help of the rest of the community and we urge anyone with information about people who may be carrying knives to come forward and speak to us or Crimestoppers.”