A woman who repeatedly kicked an Aberdeen taxi driver in the face has claimed she only did so in a bid to stop his “erratic driving”.
The taxi driver was only driving in that manner, however, because he was under attack by Carla Robb and her accomplice Peter McCallum, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The 32-year-old had just met her co-accused McCallum, 25, at a party and drunkenly agreed to share a taxi with him from Powis Circle to Seaton Road on September 13 2021.
When the taxi driver pulled up at their destination at around 9.50pm, McCallum violently began attacking him by pinning him to the seat and repeatedly punching him.
After sustaining multiple blows to the face, their victim managed to drive off in the hope of attracting help.
Woman repeatedly kicked him in face as he drove
Fiscal depute David Ballock said: “The complainer drove the vehicle in a fast and erratic manner due to the accused McCallum continuing to assault him.
“As a result of the way in which he was driving the accused Robb started to kick out at the seat in front of her to have the complainer slow down, in doing this the accused Robb kicked the complainer on several occasions to the left side of his face.”
The driver, being attacked on two fronts by this time, did ultimately find help when an officer in a marked police vehicle saw him looking “clearly distressed”.
The constable got out to help, activating his body-worn video camera and found the driver with cuts and bruises to his face.
The taxi driver, who didn’t require medical treatment, told the officer he’d been assaulted by both passengers.
Fled scene but admitted assault
Robb made off before she could be stopped and the officer took control of McCallum.
Robb admitted an assault to injury charge. She appeared alone in the dock and her co-accused will be sentenced next month for an identical charge plus a further one of perverting the course of justice.
Defence agent Alex Burn said it was Robb’s victim’s “erratic driving” that caused her to attack him.
He added: “She had been at a party where she met Mr McCallum. She didn’t have a relationship with him prior to that. She had become inebriated and they decided to get a taxi to the Seaton area.
‘Her life has not particularly gone to plan’
“I can understand the taxi driver’s position. He wanted to get out of the situation as quickly as possible.”
The solicitor said the charge against Robb had been “much reduced”.
“She expresses remorse for this,” he added. “Her life has not particularly gone to plan and she has taken to alcohol to deal with his issues. All her previous offending has been alcohol-related.
“She’s in a far better place now than she was when we first met her.”
He said she was “clearly desperate to engage” with support services.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin agreed to help provide that support and sentenced Robb, of Hallfield Crescent, Aberdeen, a 15-month supervision order.
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