This article is from page 8 of the 2012-05-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A TAXI driver has been found guilty of assaulting a passenger near his home in Ennis two years ago.
Okechukwu Utuke, with an address at 45 Dun Na hInse, Ennis, pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Michael L’ Estrange at Gort Na mBlath, Ennis on April 25 (2010). Mr Utuke (44) also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbery.
It took a jury 23 minutes to convict Mr Utuke of assault. He was found not guilty of robbery. Details of the assault were heard at the three day trial in Ennis Circuit Court last week. Mr L’ Estrange, who suffered a fractured collarbone in the assault, told the jury that he had gone for a few drinks in town and left for home at around 1.30am. He said that he had started to walk but when he got to Country Pine, he “flagged” down a taxi.
He asked the driver to bring him to his home at 27 Gort na mBlath. Mr L’ Estrange said he stopped a short distance from his house. He said he never got a taxi directly to his home “because you don’t know who’s who.” Mr L’ Estrange said that after the car came to a halt in Gort Na mBlath, he disputed the fare of € 15, adding that it usually cost between seven and eight euros.
The court heard that Mr L’Estrange dropped € 10 onto the front passenger seat and left the car.
Mr L’ Estrange said that the driver followed him from the car, knocked him to the ground and started digging him with his fists. He said he was also struck with an implement.
Mr L’ Estrange said the driver then put his hands into his pocket and took out € 70. He added, “I asked him to give the money back. He got in his car and took off.”
Elaine Shanahan witnessed what she described as a “coloured man” beating another man on the ground just outside her home at 18 Gort na mBlath. She told the court she was horrified to see the man hit the other repeatedly with a toy trailer. He then proceeded to hit him with a sweeping brush, she recalled.
According to Ms Shanahan’s testimony, the assailant then got into his silver Toyota car and drove away at speed. She did not get the car registration number, but recorded the taxi number on her phone, which she later gave to Gardaí. The court heard that Mr Utuke accepted that he owned a silver Toyota Avensis and had made a call to Gort na mBlath on the night in question. The court heard that Mr Utuke claimed that Mr L’ Estrange had run off without paying. Mr Utuke was convicted of assault and acquitted of robbery. He is due to be sentenced on May 18.