Masked knifeman held blade against taxi driver's throat

A MASKED knifeman held a blade against a taxi driver's throat in a terrifying 2am robbery in Port Glasgow.

Caile McCabe got into the back seat of a cab and grabbed his victim from behind before shouting: "Gimme yer money!"

McCabe — who used a pseudonym when booking the car — threatened to 'cut' the driver before eventually fleeing with just £50 in coins.

The armed robber is now beginning a prison sentence but will be back on the streets of Inverclyde as early as September after a sheriff discounted his jail time following an early guilty plea.

Lawman Michael Higgins reduced a headline sentence of 42 months to 28 months and backdated it to when McCabe was remanded in custody.

The sheriff decided not to punish him for being in breach of a night-time curfew at the time of the attack at John Wood Street and chose to admonish McCabe — who was on two bail orders — instead.

Prosecutor Raeesa Ahmed told Greenock Sheriff Court: "The complainer is a taxi driver who received a call to collect a passenger by the name of 'Artisan'.

"The complainer observed the accused in all dark clothing standing on the left hand side of the road and he immediately pulled a snood up over his mouth and walked towards the taxi.

"He got into the rear of the car and sat directly behind the driver, immediately placing a dark Stanley knife to the right hand side of his neck, whilst with his left arm reaching over and pinning him against his seat.

"The accused, swearing, immediately shouted, 'Gimme yer money!', and he pressed the blade towards the driver's neck, shouting that he would 'cut' him.

"The driver has then, with his right hand, reached up towards his right shoulder and took control of the accused's right wrist and managed to force it back, allowing him to open the car door and exit the vehicle."

Fiscal depute Ms Ahmed added: "Once in the street the accused attempted to lunge from the vehicle but was kicked back into the back of the car by the driver.

"He continued to lunge forward with the knife.

"The driver has directed him to the cash dispenser within the driver's door pocket, which had approximately £50 within it.

"The accused removed this and then asked, 'Where's your notes?', before running off."

The court was told that, following eyewitness information received by police from another cabbie, a search warrant was granted for McCabe's flat at Customhouse Lane in the Port.

A Nokia mobile phone belonging to him was found to have had its entire call history deleted and the Sim card removed, however, forensic analysis of the device revealed messages confirming the booking and arrival of the taxi.

Defence lawyer Amy Spencer said: "Mr McCabe accepts that custody is inevitable.

"He pleaded guilty at the very earliest opportunity last July, even before disclosure of the evidence had been received.

"Mr McCabe fully acknowledges the seriousness of this offence and he himself describes his behaviour as disgusting."

Ms Spencer told the court that McCabe's mother died when he was aged seven and that he was thereafter placed in the care of his father, John, who is now serving a life sentence for murder.

She added: "One cannot imagine a more difficult childhood for a young man."

Sheriff Michael Higgins told McCabe: "No doubt this offence was a very distressing and frightening experience for a person who was just doing his job."

The sheriff noted McCabe's previous convictions for offences including disorder and possession of weapons and an assessment by social workers that he is a 'maximum risk of reoffending'.

Sheriff Higgins backdated the 28-month sentence to July 4 last year, when McCabe was remanded in custody.

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