Sonata Taxi Driver Goes Postal

I Was VB

By Andrew Phelan

Thursday September 15 2011




A TAXI driver pulled a knife on a passenger and slashed his hands when they got into a row after the victim made fun of his Korean-built Hyundai cab.

Kevin Hanlon (58) carried out the slash attack after he over-reacted to "banter" from the passenger on a late-night journey in Dublin city centre.

He was given an 11-month suspended sentence and fined €1,000 after a judge found him guilty of a weapons charge.

Dublin District Court heard the passenger, JJ O'Riordan, was left bleeding from cuts to both hands after Hanlon went "crazy" and began slashing him with a Stanley knife.

Suspending the sentence for a year, Judge Cormac Dunne said it was "unacceptable" for a taxi driver to carry a weapon and said he believed Hanlon was not fit to have a public service vehicle licence.




Pushed

Hanlon, of Dominick House, Dominick Street Upper, had pleaded not guilty to producing a weapon in the course of a dispute at Nicholas Street on October 17 last. He had denied having any weapon and claimed he had only pushed Mr O'Riordan out of the cab because he feared he was about to be attacked.

There was no assault charge against Hanlon. The court heard Mr O'Riordan had been out with his then-girlfriend, Linda Murray, and friend Scott Fay at Krystle nightclub and Lillie's Bordello before leaving the Westin Hotel at 5.30am.

They got in Hanlon's taxi and Mr O'Riordan, a motor dealer from Terenure, began to "banter" with Hanlon and remarking about his Hyundai Sonata -- "who buys these things?"

Hanlon got "very annoyed" and Mr O'Riordan said: "I'm sorry, just bring us home."

He then mimicked Hanlon's use of the taxi radio, jokingly motioning his hand towards it and saying "ten-four, breaker breaker" to amuse his friends.

Mr O'Riordan said Hanlon stopped the car, went "mental", produced a sharp object which he did not see, and began cutting him with it.

"I could feel my hands being cut over and over again," he said. "While my hands were being slashed, he continually told me to get the hell out of the car. He just missed very, very important veins in my wrists."

He jumped out along with Mr Fay and Hanlon sped off through red traffic lights, with Ms Murray still in the back and two of the doors wide open.

Mr O'Riordan tried to chase it on foot then followed in another taxi. They caught up with it at Ms Murray's home in Harold's Cross and he opened the door, pulled up the handbrake and shouted at his girlfriend to get out. In cross-examination, he denied verbally abusing the accused, touching his rear view mirror or radio or "launching an attack" in which he bent his handbrake.

Ms Murray, a primary school teacher, said the accused had been shouting "I want my money, I want my money" when he stopped the cab.

She clearly saw Hanlon pulling out a Stanley blade and she grabbed his sleeve and said: "You don't pull a knife on someone. I have your money, I will stay here."




Shock

She stayed in the taxi to "defuse" the situation and because she "wanted to protect her boyfriend". When Mr O'Riordan caught up with them again, she got in between the two and told her boyfriend to get out of the car. She was shaking and in shock afterwards.

Hanlon claimed Mr O'Riordan adjusted his rear view mirror, told him his taxi was a "s**t car" and he was a "s**t-head driver". He maintained Mr O'Riordan picked up his radio and he stopped the cab and told him to get out.

He said he pushed Mr O'Riordan out because he was in fear of being attacked. He said he asked Ms Murray if she wanted to get out, then asked her to shut the back door when she said no. Hanlon claimed Mr O'Riordan "dived on top of him" in the second incident and bent the handbrake. Hanlon, a separated father-of-three, had been a taximan for 23 years and had no previous convictions. Recognisances were fixed in the event of appeal.

Lads, i'd never knife yiz for making fun of me beloved Corona.
The Sonata in question was a 07 Daysul.

Suspended sentance :rolleyes: Unreal.

I Was VB

RoverJames wrote: »

Suspended sentance :rolleyes: Unreal.

The victim was a car sales man from Terenure (im not gonna name names) but wouldnt ya think he knew the answer to his question, taxi drivers!

:pac:

colm_mcm

The 116hp diesel is a little sluggish at low revs. I'll keep that to myself in future though.

MugMugs

colm_mcm wrote: »

The 116hp diesel is a little sluggish at low revs. I'll keep that to myself in future though.

You'd do well too!

sentient_6

The idea of taxi driver with a stanley within reach ready to go is a bit disturbing!

I Was VB

I Was VB wrote: »

The victim was a car sales man from Terenure (im not gonna name names) but wouldnt ya think he knew the answer to his question, taxi drivers!

:pac:

Seemed a total bell end no doubt but taking a stanley knife to someone is deserving of a month or two B&B at the state's expense.

HJL

Think I'll stick to my usual "busy tonight?" when I'm in a taxi next!

I Was VB

sentient_6 wrote: »

The idea of taxi driver with a stanley within reach ready to go is a bit disturbing!

Alot more common than ya think, taxi drivers have been known to carry weapon not uncommon. Me however all i use is my wit to protect myself, i like to be proactive not reactive in situations.

subway

If it was a skoda, Id automatically assume taxi man was a regular poster here

Berty

Still a Taxi Driver is he?

sentient_6

sentient_6 wrote: »

The idea of taxi driver with a stanley within reach ready to go is a bit disturbing!

Since deregulation there are many folks driving taxis that wouldn't get a job in a fit off someone else.

I Was VB

Beer Baron wrote: »

Still a Taxi Driver is he?

Checked his car licence and taxi driving licence, both still valid.

mikemac

Twelve lines with the story from O'Riordan and his friends

Only two lines given to Hanlon to explain himself
Not a very balanced article.

And I want to know if they found O'Riordan's prints on the wing-mirror, radio and rear view-mirror and was the handbrake actually bent?
That's nowhere in the article

mikemac

mikemac wrote: »

.........

And I want to know if they found O'Riordan's prints on the wing-mirror, radio and rear view-mirror and was the handbrake actually bent?
That's nowhere in the article

Who gives a feck if he used the radio or not
"after a judge found him guilty of a weapons charge"
Dealing with f***tards is part of the job, slashing them with a stanley blade isn't.

pajo1981

mikemac wrote: »

Twelve lines with the story from O'Riordan and his friends

Only two lines given to Hanlon to explain himself
Not a very balanced article.

And I want to know if they found O'Riordan's prints on the wing-mirror, radio and rear view-mirror and was the handbrake actually bent?
That's nowhere in the article

Balanced? He slashed his hands,ffs!

ed: Missed this bit: '...Krystle nightclub and Lillie's Bordello'

Slash away...

VolvoMan

RoverJames wrote: »

Since deregulation there are many folks driving taxis that wouldn't get a job in a fit off someone else.

The guy was a taxi driver for 23 years, so it is likely that he has been doing it since before regulation.

While I in no way condone slashing someone's hands with a stanley blade, I understand that there is a possibilty the taxi driver became distressed. Imagine some tool of a car salesman getting into your taxi and making a mockery of your livelihood. It is likely he had a stanley blade beside him for other reasons and just flipped.

I Was VB

VolvoMan wrote: »

The guy was a taxi driver for 23 years, so it is likely that he has been doing it since before regulation.

While I in no way condone slashing someone's hands with a stanley blade, I understand that there is a possibilty the taxi driver became distressed. Imagine some tool of a car salesman getting into your taxi and making a mockery of your livelihood. It is likely he had a stanley blade beside him for other reasons and just flipped.

Indeed there are people in this profession on a knife edge (no pun intended) alike most jobs currently in Ireland, but it dosent help when the man put a decent car on the road and it to made a thing of riddacule.

Saying that most people in the service industry have to put up with drunkards and the dont go around cutting people like boxes.

Hiace.

That poor taxi driver was a header, and no doubt stressed out from years of carrying skangers, hence the Stanley knife.

At least that mouth of a dealer might have a bit of manners / respect the next time he's dealing with people trying to earn a living. He obviously thought he would degrade someone in front of his pals in order to look like the big man.

pajo1981

Hiace. wrote: »

That poor taxi driver was a header, and no doubt stressed out from years of carrying skangers, hence the Stanley knife.

At least that mouth of a dealer might have a bit of manners / respect the next time he's dealing with people trying to earn a living. He obviously thought he would degrade someone in front of his pals in order to look like the big man.

Proper order, the cúnt sounds like he deserves everything he got.

Guy:Incognito

Would people be defending the taxi driver if he was in his 20's and in a tracksuit?

SV

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Would people be defending the taxi driver if he was in his 20's and in a tracksuit?

Nope, cos then he's a scumbag.

yay for stereotypes!

pajo1981

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Would people be defending the taxi driver if he was in his 20's and in a tracksuit?

I'm in my 20s and wear a tracksuit (sans gym). ye have some sorta fookin problem?

garhjw

for the driver to flip out like that he was obviously pretty stressed over something. lim sure in his 23 years driving a taxi he has met bigger knobs than that guy.

Anan1

pajo1981 wrote: »

Proper order, the cúnt sounds like he deserves everything he got.

pajo1981 wrote: »

I'm in my 20s and wear a tracksuit (sans gym). ye have some sorta fookin problem?

I would if you got a taxi license.

Lots of cab drivers wear tracksuits while working in Cork, I thought their was a requirement to dress remotely smart casual to drive a taxi.

Absurdum

A TAXI driver pulled a knife on a passenger and slashed his hands when they got into a row after the victim made fun of his Korean-built Hyundai cab.

Kevin Hanlon (58) carried out the slash attack after he over-reacted to "banter" from the passenger on a late-night journey in Dublin city centre.

He was given an 11-month suspended sentence and fined €1,000 after a judge found him guilty of a weapons charge.
.
.
.
.
There was no assault charge against Hanlon

I think there's more to this than that report is saying.

Anan1

Absurdum wrote: »

I think there's more to this than that report is saying.

The no assault charge is a bit curious, as is the girlfriend staying in the cab. Bottom line is, none of us has enough information about this to do anything but speculate.