Man sentenced for assault on taxi driver in Fife

The Courier reports on the sentencing of a man in connection with an assault on a taxi driver in Dunfermline, Fife.

Steven Ferguson, 29, was charged with common assault and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was racially aggravated in connection with an incident involving taxi driver Ali Ahidar on 25 April 2015.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard that Ferguson and a male companion got into Ahidar’s taxi at around 1am on the night of 25 April. The two men were inebriated and Ahidar asked that each of the passengers pay an advance of £10 in case they were sick in his car. Ahidar said he told the men he would return the advance if neither of them fouled his taxi.

Ferguson and his friend both refused and got out of Ahidar’s taxi.

Ahidar told the court that when he later stepped out of his car for a cigarette, he was attacked from behind by Ferguson.

Ahidar told the court that Ferguson pushed him to the floor and started punching him. Ahidar said Ferguson grabbed him around the throat and said, “I’m going to kill you, foreigner.”

Ferguson’s assault was interrupted when his friend intervened. Ahidar also claimed that there were five or six other taxi drivers parked at the Carnegie Drive rank but every one of them failed to come to his assistance.

Ahidar told the court that he thought Ferguson’s assault was prompted by his drunken state and not because of a racist motivation.

Ferguson was found guilty of assault and cleared of a second charge of behaving in a racially aggravated threatening or abusive manner, uttering a racist remark and threatening violence.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher fined him £400.