Robbers who used iPhone as 'knife' in 'frightening' taxi driver hold up jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court
A TAXI driver feared his throat would be slashed by robbers who held an iPhone agianst his neck pretending it was a knife.
Ryan Keen and Gary Crawley have been jailed for three years each after robbing the 29-year-old driver last year.
The pair got into the taxi in West Street, Fareham, before launching their robbery in Queens Road, Fareham, at around 2am on September 30.
Keen, 25, of no fixed address, was in the back and pressed his iPhone against the man's throat demanding cash.
Police said the victim handed over £100 and his phone 'believing the item held to his neck was a knife' as the robbers had made 'threats to cut the victim'.
Dashcam footage captured the harrowing incident and recorded the pair threatening the driver with 'serious violence'.
Det Con David Midgley said: ‘This was initially a fast-paced investigation into what was a frightening ordeal for the taxi driver.
‘The victim’s quick thinking and immediate call to the police meant local officers were able arrest the suspects nearby.
‘The offenders had deliberately targeted a lone worker and made him believe a knife was being used against him.
‘Thanks to the taxi company having on-board cameras, both defendants had to accept their fate and entered guilty pleas.
‘This sentence shows that the criminal justice system deals with public place violence crime robustly.
‘We hope our swift action on this case reassures those living and working in the area that we will take action against those who threaten our communities.’
Keen and Crawley, 31, of Queens Road in Fareham, both admitted robbery on Monday at Portsmouth Crown Court and were jailed.