Taxi driver is convicted of assaulting fellow driver at Belfast International Airport
A taxi driver has been convicted of disorderly behaviour and assaulting a fellow taxi driver at Belfast International Airport after contesting the charges.
John Damien Cardwell (55), of Woodland Grange in Belfast, was convicted in relation to Monday January 29, 2024.
The case was heard at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.
The court heard here had been a dispute about a fare.
A taxi driver told the court there was a "first caller, first job" system at a taxi area.
He said a customer approached wanting to go to Antrim town and after a discussion about the fare the customer walked away.
Within a few minutes, another fare came out and he took them to Donegal.
Later, when he returned from Donegal, the driver said the defendant got out of a taxi and "roughly knocked" the window of his cab.
He said he put his window down slightly and the defendant was "very aggressive" and accused him of "short changing him in the job. He proceeded to spit on me". He said the spit was intentional.
He said the defendant said he was "going to beat my b*llocks in" and was "going to break my jaw".
He said the defendant said he wanted to have a "fist fight".
The driver said he told the defendant to "catch himself on".
A recording of the exchange was played to court.
A defence barrister said the defendant believed he should have got the Donegal job given the taxi rank system.
The defence said footage was "too grainy" to see if there had been spitting.
The defendant claimed the other driver spat at him. The driver denied that and said spitting was the "lowest".
The defendant also denied spitting at the other driver.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said the case came down to a "question of credibility".
He said: "In my view Mr Cardwell was the person who felt particularly aggrieved. He was the one who approached the complainant and I believe the complainant's account and I convict the defendant".
The defendant, who had a record, was fined £700 on charges of assault and disorderly behaviour.
A one-year Restraining Order was put in place and the defendant is not to pester or annoy the other driver.