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Cab attack man ‘helping sister’
ACCUSED: Curtis King. Photo: Peterborough ET
A MAN accused of assaulting a taxi driver only punched the cabbie to protect his sister from being hit with a fire extinguisher, a court has heard.
Curtis King (23) knocked cabbie Mohammed Farooq out cold when he punched him in the face on June 4 last year.
Yesterday, Curtis King told Huntingdon Crown Court he had seen Mr Farooq reaching for a fire extinguisher from the boot of his taxi following an argument with sister Tanisha King (24), and said he was worried Mr Farooq was going to hit her with the object.
Curtis King and Tanisha King, both of Cavendish Street, Peterborough, deny one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the incident outside the Marisqueira Portuguese cafe, on the corner of Russell Street and Cromwell Road, at about 3am.
Curtis King took to the witness stand yesterday and told the jury there had been a disagreement with Mr Farooq about how many people were in the taxi.
He said: “There were five of us who got into the taxi and the driver said he could only take four.
“Two people got out and went to get another taxi and the driver reversed onto the street.
“Then Tanisha came over and started asking why the driver had not left yet. She was very drunk.
“I was telling them both to stop, but he was being very aggressive.
“Neither of them were listening to me.
“She was leaning into the front passenger door and they both got out of the car, they were still arguing.
“I went to get into another taxi that was waiting behind the first one while they were still arguing.
“While I was in the other taxi, I saw the first taxi driver go to the boot of his taxi. He was rummaging in the boot of his car. I didn’t take my eyes off him, as I thought he was going to get a weapon to hit my sister with.
“He put his hands on a fire extinguisher, about 10-inches long.
“I opened the door of the taxi, got out and hit him.
“It was instinct and I did not think about what I was doing. He was knocked out and I just ran off.
“I am Tanisha’s brother. While she can look after herself, she could not if she was attacked with a weapon.
“If she had been hit with the extinguisher on the head, she could have died.”
Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, said Curtis King’s claims were lies and said he was responsible for a kick Mr Farooq received while he was on the floor – an allegation Curtis King denies.
Tanisha King is alleged to have punched Mr Farooq while the pair were arguing.
The jury were also told both Curtis King and Tanisha King had convictions in the past for violence. Curtis King had pleaded guilty to two counts of affray, three assaults and a criminal damage matter, with offences dating back to 2004.
Tanisha King, who elected not to take to the witness stand, has previously pleaded guilty to six assaults and one count of wounding, dating back to 2003.
The case continues.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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