Cabbie Seriously Assaulted in Addison Gardens
Witnesses sought to incident which occurred this January
A black cab driver was left with serious injuries after being assaulted following a dispute with a passenger in Lower Addison Gardens, W14.
The victim has no memory of the assault but the last thing he recalls is asking for payment after he noticed that a woman had been sick in the back of his cab.
On Monday, 26 January, at around 2:20am, the 62-year-old cabbie was hailed by a man and a woman in their early twenties in the vicinity of Brompton Square near Harrods. The driver, who does not wish to be named, stopped and agreed to take the couple to Addison Gardens in Kensington.
Following the journey, the man paid the fare of £20 and the pair then left the cab in Lower Addison Gardens. The driver then noticed that the woman had been sick in the back of his cab. He suggested to the man that they should clear up the mess or give him an extra £45 to pay for the cleaning of the cab.
The cab driver has no recollection of what happened next but when he regained consciousness he was badly injured and his clothing was covered in blood. He managed to drive home where his son took him to hospital for treatment. He had sustained multiple fractures around his eye socket.
Officers were called to the hospital where they began an investigation.
Detective Constable Simon Jewell, from Kensington and Chelsea CID, said, "The victim's injuries are consistent with having been repeatedly kicked or punched in the head. This would appear to be a vicious attack on a 62-year-old man who has only recently been able to return to work.
"We have released a photo of the cab driver in hospital taken from a Body Worn Camera in the hope that this will encourage people to come forward with information to help the investigation.
"We are appealing for anyone who can help us to identify the couple, a white man and woman in their early 20s, who caught the cab in the early hours on Monday, 26 January from the vicinity of Brompton Square to Lower Addison Gardens.
"We'd particularly like to speak to the residents of Lower Addison Gardens and Addison Gardens who may have heard noise at approximately 02:30 hrs on Monday, 26 January or may even have witnessed the assault."
If you have any information about this incident please call police on 020 8246 0217 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
July 27, 2015
