Cabbie to go on trial after allegedly physically assaulting female passenger
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A taxi driver accused of physically assaulting a female passenger is set to go on trial in November.
In the matter brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday, the driver, Andrew Griffiths, is alleged to have assaulted the woman while pulling her from his vehicle during an argument.
However, Griffiths, through his attorney, C.J Mitchell, said while in his vehicle, the woman became “quarrelsome and vexatious” prompting him to ask her to exit the car.
He said the woman refused at which point he was forced to take her by the hand and try to remove her from the vehicle.
According to the driver, the woman retaliated by grabbing him by the neck and choking him.
However, Senior Parish Judge, Sanchia Burrell, questioned how the small-statured woman, who remained mostly quiet throughout the proceeding, could be capable of such violence.
“How did she do it? How did his neck get into her way?” Burrell asked. “Because he looks like a taller person than her. This lady would have to be an albatross for her to be seated in the taxi and choke the man who is standing outside. I am trying to grasp the logistics of how she achieved choking him.”
Mitchell said his client was willing to go to trial to prove his case. A trial date was then set for November 11.
