Swansea man jailed after stealing and crashing taxi

A Swansea man who duped a taxi driver into getting out of his vehicle so he could jump into the front seat and drive it away has been jailed.

31-year-old Jeremy Higgins, of no fixed abode, asked a taxi driver to help him carry his belongings into the vehicle.

When the driver got out to assist, Higgins jumped into the driver’s seat and drove away.

He was later found by officers on Princess Margaret Way, Aberavon, having crashed the vehicle and caused significant damage to it.

When caught, Higgins was in the act of attempting to remove the dashcam and card machine from the vehicle.

Drugs

He was arrested and found to be in possession of two knives.

A phone in Higgins’ possession was also found to be linked to illegal drug supply.

He has been sentenced to twelve months in prison after pleading guilty to robbery and two counts of possessing a knife/bladed article in a public place.

Detective Sergeant Grant Phillips said: “Jeremy Higgins clearly planned this robbery as he had two knives in his possession. This must have been an incredibly scary experience for the taxi driver.

“Not only did he commit robbery and then crash the taxi, but he was also carrying two dangerous weapons whilst doing so. Therefore, it is only right that he has been sent to prison.”