Taxi robber had ‘never intended to harm anyone’

Man stole £30 from one taxi and held up another after benefits were cut

A robber held up two taxi drivers while armed with a remote control wrapped in tin foil.

Scott Taylor is facing a lengthy jail term after he admitted targeting two drivers, arming himself with a phony weapon and demanding cash after being picked up.

In the first robbery, on May 31, he managed to make off with £30 but was left empty-handed in the second attempt when his female victim told him to go away.

Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court that when he was caught, Taylor told police he had shaped tin foil around a remote control to make it look like a knife.

She added: “He said it was never his intention to harm anyone.”

In the first incident Taylor was picked up at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and asked to be taken to a city centre pub.

Just after leaving the hospital Taylor had the driver pull over while he went to get money and a key.

Moments later he re-entered the cab and pulled what appeared to be a knife from his hold-all and held it to his victim’s stomach, demanding cash.

As he made off with £30 Taylor referenced his benefits being cut, stating: “That’ll do. I’m sorry, I’ve just been sanctioned, I’ve not eaten for three days.”

Two days later Taylor targeted a second cab driver after calling for a taxi to pick him up at an address in Dee Gardens, Dundee, under a fake name.

Taylor got into the taxi and said he wanted to go to the Fintry area of the city.

He then pulled out his remote control “knife” and demanded money but because he was the first fare of her shift the driver said she did not have any.

When he again made his demand she shouted at him and he ran away.

Taylor, 33, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pled guilty to robbing one driver and attempting to rob the other.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until September 20 for social work background reports and remanded Taylor in custody in the meantime.

“That’ll do. I’m sorry, I’ve just been sanctioned, I’ve not eaten for three days