A teenage armed robber who targeted Aberdeen taxi drivers has been jailed for more than two years.
Drug-fuelled Ellis Gardiner pressed a knife into the face of one driver, drawing blood, and robbed another of £50 after brandishing a screwdriver at him.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 19-year-old even victimised his own mum, stealing £80 from her when he was in a drug-addled frenzy.
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that at around 2.30am on August 4 last year, the taxi driver picked Gardiner up from Cruden Crescent, Aberdeen.
The teenager sat in the backseat and asked to be taken to Mastrick.
Once there, Gardiner got no reply at the front door of the address and returned to the taxi and requested to be taken to various streets, including North Anderson Drive.
Pressed knife against driver’s face
Ms Petersen said: “As soon as the taxi came to a stop, the accused launched himself towards the complainer, seizing him by the arms and pushing him in to the seat.
“The complainer felt blood running down his chin and noticed that the accused had a knife pressed against his face.”
Gardiner then began shouting demands at the taxi driver, requesting that he hand over his mobile phone and wallet.
He also demanded the car keys, but the driver refused so Gardiner grabbed his wallet and ran from the taxi.
The driver managed to flag down a police car and reported the incident.
He suffered superficial injuries to his chin and hand that did not require medical attention.
The fiscal depute then described the crime involving Gardiner’s mother.
She said the teenager stole his mum’s mobile phone and demanded that she hand over £80 in cash in order to get it back, which she did.
Second taxi driver robbery
A second taxi driver was targeted by Gardiner, this this time with an accomplice.
Gardiner and Steven Gribble – who was jailed for the crime earlier this year – robbed the man with a screwdriver on February 19 2024.
The court heard Gribble demanded £50 after getting the taxi driver to take him to an ATM, where he discovered his bank account was empty.
Gribble held a screwdriver while Gardiner stated: “I’ve got something at your back as well.”
Describing it as a “disgraceful crime”, Sheriff Graham Buchanan jailed Gribble for two years and eight months when he appeared during a separate hearing in January this year.
In the dock, Gardiner pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and robbery.
Accused ‘motivated to change life’
Defence solicitor Laura Gracie told the court that her client had been suffering from drug addiction issues at the time of these offences and had “gone completely off the rails”.
She said that on the occasion when he robbed the taxi driver at knifepoint he had smoked crack cocaine.
“He knows that the impact on both taxi drivers will have been serious,” Ms Gracie said, adding: “Mr Gardiner does not try to excuse his behaviour, he just wanted to explain why it happened.”
Ms Gracie said Gardiner was now off drugs and “motivated to change his life”.
But Sheriff William Summers told Gardiner that he had carried out “three serious offences, two of which involved attacks on vulnerable taxi drivers”.
“The notion that these offences could be dealt with by anything other than a custodial sentence is patently absurd,” he said.
Sheriff Summers jailed Gardiner, of Stewart Terrace, Aberdeen, for a total of 30 months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.