A LIMERICK taxi driver has told a court how he has trouble sleeping at night, fears being alone and cannot work in his taxi for more than three days at a time, after he was attacked, bundled into the booth of the car and held while a group of youths drove recklessly around the city. Walter Adams, a Nigerian national living in Limerick with his wife and children, was a taxi driver working in Limerick on February 13, 2010 when he was approached in the city by a man dressed in dark clothing looking to be taken to the the Dock Road to collect two friends and then on to Raheen Gardens.
Jason Cuneen, with a address at 51 Clare Street, and Dominic Buckley of 30 Pinegrove, Raheen, were accompanied by a third man as they travelled to Raheen Gardens at 3.50am on the date in question.
The court heard in garda evidence that the West African taxi driver took the men to the address where they alighted the vehicle and went to the front garden of a house.
Mr Adams left the car and sought his fare from the men before two of them made gestures that they were in possession of guns in their pockets and demanded the man’s phone and money.
Mr Adams was forced into the booth of the car and the three men took off and drove around the city, before stopping at Donoughmore Church.
At this point, the court was told, Mr Adams managed to get out of the booth before the car sped off again, striking him in the leg.
At 5.30am on the morning in question, Gardai were alerted to a distressed man in the area after Mr Adams managed to get assistance from the occupiers of a nearby house.
Buckley, the court heard, was arrested in March 2010, and admitted his involvement in the matter, and Jason Cuneen was detained in April of the same year and admitted his part in the hijack.
Empty bottles of Budweiser were used as the concealed imitation guns, while the court heard that Buckley got out of the car during the incident and let the other two men continue with the man in the booth.
The taxi was later abandoned and burnt out on the Garryowen green.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that 25-year-old Buckley, who also pleaded guilty to his involvement in a separate assault matter in May 2009, had a number of previous convictions for road traffic offences, theft and drugs as well as for, robbery, attempted robbery and burglary.
21-year-old Jason Cuneen had no previous convictions.
Addressing the court as part of his victim impact statement, Mr Adams said that since the dreadful attack where he was kept in the booth for over an hour, he said that he has developed neck problems due to being thrown around the confined space.
Mr Adams said he continues to suffer from panic attacks and was afraid after the incident. He added that his marriage suffered and that he was only able to work on the quieter days as a taxi driver.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that the third man connected to the incident was subject to a probation report that was due before the court later in the year.
Jason Cuneen, the court heard, had managed to gather a sum of money totalling €2,000 by way of compensation, but Judge Carroll Moran said that it “wasn’t a great sum of money”.
Sentencing for Jason Cuneen was adjourned until September 11 for the judge to consider the matter, while under the direction of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act, Dominic Buckley was returned to Limerick District Court for the activation of a suspended sentence to be considered.
Both men were returned to bail and are to appear in September for sentence.
