Heavily-convicted dad-of-one fell asleep in back of taxi with knife on the seat

A heavily-convicted criminal was woken by police after he fell asleep in the back of a taxi with a knife on show in the back seat of the cab. Nottingham Crown Court heard how at the time, Lewis Thompson was wanted for an assault having knocked out some teeth of a man he repeatedly punched in the beer garden of a city centre pub.

On a third prior occasion, the 27-year-old father-of-one also threatened to stab a man outside a pub in Beeston. And at the time of all of this year’s offences, he was the subject of a suspended sentence for having an axe.

Jailing him for two years and nine months, Recorder Helen Malcolm KC said: “This is not the first time you have been before the court for sentence for a substantial number of different offences. The assault is the most serious, it was unprovoked and sustained.”

Get the latest news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp

Ellesse Taylor, prosecuting, said the first set of offences took place outside the White Lion pub, in Middle Street, Beeston, around 10.50pm on May 17, this year. She said the defendant got into an argument with another man during which he told him “I will stab you and I will stab your mum” in an attempt to provoke the victim.

The prosecutor said the police arrived and arrested him. Miss Taylor said the second set of offences happened in the beer garden of Lloyds No.1 pub in Carlton Street, Nottingham city centre, on June 29. She said: “He punched the victim four-to-five times to his face and had to be led away by another customer. The victim suffered lost teeth and in a victim impact statement said he had to take time off work and suffered pain, discomfort and embarrassment as to how he looked.”

The prosecutor said the final set of matters happened on the evening of October 13, this year, when a taxi picked Thompson up from North Sherwood Street and drove him to Rossell Drive, Stapleford. Miss Taylor said: “He fell asleep and remained asleep even when the taxi arrived at its destination. The taxi driver went to wake him and noticed a kitchen knife under his leg.

“The police arrived to arrest him and he woke up and was abusive and aggressive towards them. Inside a bag they found a large amount of cannabis and on the way to hospital he was abusive towards one of the officers (in a homophobic way). At the scene he had resisted arrest and threatened to batter the officers.”

Thompson, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a knife in a public place, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assaulting an emergency worker, resisting arrest, possessing cannabis and using threatening/abusive words or behaviour, and being drunk and disorderly. He also admitted the offences put him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed in January for possession of an axe.

He has 20 previous court appearances for 35 offences including an offensive weapon, drugs and driving matters, Lauren Fisher, mitigating, said her client has "struggled to come to terms with the tragic death” of his father in November, 2018.

She said: “His grandmother, mother, sister and partner are in court to support him showing he has a strong family support unit. He hangs his head in shame, clearly embarrassed at his behaviour while under the influence of drink and drugs.

“He is realistic about the outcome and plans to use his time in custody usefully.”