A recent disagreement over a $50 fare difference led to a passenger being stabbed with a screwdriver by a taxi driver. The impulsive act has now cost the driver, Peter Bramwell, a hefty $200,000 in court-ordered compensation.
The incident stemmed from nothing more than a quarrel over whether the fare was $150 or $200. According to the complainant, he had boarded Bramwell’s taxi in Half Way Tree and then noticed that the fare quoted was higher than expected. He insisted that the correct fare was $150.
Bramwell disagreed, and the confrontation escalated, turning physical when Bramwell approached him. The driver reportedly attacked the passenger with a screwdriver, stabbing him when he stood at his side of the car. The driver was later arrested and charged with unlawful wounding.
The case was brought before Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday. When he was asked how he pleaded to the charge, he pleaded guilty, openly admitting to the stabbing without contest.
The court then turned its attention to the cost of the injury. The complainant initially was not able to give a figure, explaining that he had several receipts and needed time to total them. The matter was briefly stood down so he could retrieve the information.
Later in the day, the complainant returned with an approximate total of $250,000, including legal fees. Judge Crooks instructed him to exclude the legal fees and consider only medical costs, placing the true amount owed somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000.
Bramwell could not produce the money in court when the judge asked if he had it on hand. What the court heard instead was a request to pay in three instalments and an explanation that he could provide only $25,000 immediately. For the remainder, he said he would seek help from his pastor.
Judge Crooks then pointed out that Bramwell had already appeared before the court earlier this year on a separate case that was prolonged because he failed to pay what he owed in a timely manner. The judge further mentioned concerns about what he viewed as Bramwell’s ongoing issues with managing his anger.
“All this over $50 for fare,” Judge Crooks said, shaking his head. “Life is not like in the movies; you can stab a man in the wrist, and he dies.”
He went on to warn Bramwell that having an assault charge tied to his name as a taxi operator was a serious liability, one that could cause future passengers to question their safety.
Despite Bramwell’s request for leniency, Judge Crooks held firm. He ordered the driver to pay $150,000 on the spot and then enquired whether the remaining balance could be paid by the following Thursday.
However, Bramwell had yet another problem. He indicated his financial problems by highlighting that he had many outstanding traffic tickets, which the judge found amusing. The humour, however, did nothing to soften the judge’s ruling.
The court requested a criminal record check, and Bramwell handed over a sum of money to an officer. When the numbers were calculated, he was left with an outstanding balance of $125,000 still to be paid.
Bramwell is scheduled to return to court on December 18, where the matter will continue.