Portsmouth man punched taxi driver, pulled knife on good Samaritan, took his car, defecated in police cell

A MAN punched a taxi driver, threatened a passer-by with a knife before taking his car, stole an iPhone and defecated in a police cell in a bizarre crime spree.
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Wayne Wilkinson’s weekend started on Friday evening in a row with an Aquacars taxi at 8.47pm after getting in without a booking - and ended the same night in police custody.

The 36-year-old has been remanded in jail after admitting nine offences all carried out on Friday night.

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On Monday Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard he got into the taxi in Cosham at the railway station asking the driver, Mulugeta Solomon, to take him ‘to the other side of the bridge’.

Police in Portsmouth. Picture: Ian Hargreaves  (310519-11)Police in Portsmouth. Picture: Ian Hargreaves  (310519-11)
Police in Portsmouth. Picture: Ian Hargreaves (310519-11)

He persisted when the driver refused and then demanded he take him into town.

But when the driver took him just half a mile to the car wash in London Road, Wilkinson punched the man to the back of the head.

They both got out of the car, and Wilkinson then got back in and tried to drive off as the keys were in the ignition.

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The quick-thinking driver took the keys but Wilkinson grabbed him, and punched him two or three times, prosecutor Elizabeth Miller said.

‘Mr Wilkinson punched the right side of (his) face which caused him to fall to the floor,’ she said.

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‘Mr Wilkinson then kicked him to the face, jumping on top of him attempting to hit him.

‘(The driver) pushed him away and picked up his jacket and keys.’

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Passers-by started to gather but Wilkinson pulled a knife out from his trousers, threatening a good Samaritan who had pulled over and said: ‘Is this how it’s going down?’

The man, Stephen Smith, fled towards Southdown View as Wilkinson chased both Mr Smith and his passenger.

He then turned his attention to Mr Smith’s red Seat Ibiza - jumping in and driving off towards Cosham centre despite police having arrived.

Officer pursued him into Western Road near the Porsche garage where Wilkinson stopped and hid behind a hedge.

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When officers found him they also found a stolen iPhone XR belonging to the passenger.

But even then his crimes did not stop.

When in a cell under constant observations at the police investigation centre off Airport Service Road, Copnor, he defecated and urinated on the floor.

Ms Miller said he ‘wiped it over the door hatch and made threats to throw it at the officer if they went too close’.

Wilkinson, of no fixed address, admitted threatening a person with a knife, theft by finding, taking a vehicle without consent, failing to provide a specimen of breath, and driving without a licence or insurance.

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He also admitted damaging a Skoda Octavia - the taxi, assault by beating and damaging a police cell.

Wilkinson has past offences for spitting at police officers and was previously given a suspended sentence.

Magistrates said his crimes were ‘so serious’ that only a judge at crown court could sentence him.

He will be sentenced on June 25 at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Probation officers are already considering recalling him on licence following a 14-month sentence imposed in October last year.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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