Taxi driver felt ‘choked’ as woman grabbed face mask

Ataxi driver was pulled away from the steering wheel and pedals by a drunk passenger who kept grabbing his face covering.

Lyndsay Craig fell asleep in the back of the cab while travelling to Cowdenbeath after a wedding.

She woke and began shouting and screaming at driver Jim Philp. She then began pulling at his face covering, pulling him away from the car’s controls.

The 39-year-old pled guilty to culpable and reckless conduct on the A92, between the Halbeath and Cowdenbeath junctions, on September 12 2021 and appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.

Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court Mr Philp was wearing a face covering snood at the time due to Covid guidelines. He picked up Craig and two others from

The Inn at Charlestown and, once the others had been dropped off, drove on towards Cowdenbeath.

Craig, of King Street, woke from her slumber and began her terrifying attack, Ms Robertson said.

“Mr Philp felt a hard pull on his face covering.

“The accused lunged forward from the back seat and began to pull the driver’s face covering”.

Ms Robertson said the driver was “forcibly pulled backwards” and “unable to keep his feet on the pedals”.

He kept his right hand on the steering wheel and tried to release Craig’s grip on his face covering with his left.

The fiscal depute continued: “Mr Philp repeatedly told the accused to stop but she shouted back at him, ‘don’t you tell me what to do’. Mr Philp managed to release the accused’s grip and regain control of the vehicle. However, after a few seconds, he felt (her) grab the face covering for a second time.

“It was grabbed with such force Mr Philp felt like he was being choked.

“He managed to pull the face covering back from the accused but she lunged forward for a third time and attempted to pull it once again”.

By this point the taxi was approaching Craig’s home address and she was dropped off and paid her fare. The taxi driver then contacted police, who were

unable to arrest her until five months later after several attempts to contact her. After being taken to a police station Craig said: “I am sorry, I don’t even remember doing it.”

Defence lawyer Calum Harris said his client has “limited recollection, if any

at all”, of the incident but had been at a wedding and was in a state of intoxication at the time.

The solicitor said Craig is “extremely ashamed and remorseful” for her actions and wished to apologise to the taxi driver. He said: “It was an act that could perhaps have been worse than it was but ultimately it was not and Mrs Craig can count herself lucky”.

Mr Harris pointed out that mother-of-two Craig has never been in trouble before and is assessed as a low risk of offending.

Sheriff Francis Gill told Craig: “Be under no illusion, you have pled guilty to what the court considers a very serious offence. There could have been catastrophic consequences for you, Mr Philp, and other road users.

“Being intoxicated is no excuse”.

The sheriff fined Craig £530.

Craig admitted culpably and recklessly repeatedly grabbing the face covering of Mr Philp while he was driving, causing him to be pulled away from the steering wheel and pedals and resulting in him losing control of the vehicle he was driving.

There could have been catastrophic consequences

The accused shouted at the cab driver.