- Taxi driver attacked just after finishing his shift about 4.40am on Sunday
- Man asked for a cigarette and attacked him when he refused to hand one over
- He was savagely beaten in the face and kicked on the head while on CCTV
- Thug fled with driver’s takings of $800 in a laptop bag in ‘premeditated’ robbery
A taxi driver was robbed and savagely beaten in the face by a young thug when he refused to give him a cigarette.
Rob Castley was cornered in the Port Lincoln, South Australia, depot after he had just finished his shift about 4.40am on Sunday.
The 59-year-old said the man asked him for a cigarette and when he wouldn’t hand on over the encounter quickly turned violent.
Taxi driver Rob Castley was robbed of $800 and savagely beaten in the face by a young thug when he refused to give him a cigarette
‘Abusing me, telling me he was going to belt me. When I got to the car, he grabbed either my bag or my jacket and slung me to the ground,’ he told Seven News.
‘I was clutching onto my bag, just trying to cover up and protect myself.’
Mr Castley said he was kicked in the head several times while he was on the ground, suffering grazes on his knees and back and needing stitches in his head.
‘I got up several times, three or four times, I was stunned and dazed, and bleeding quite a bit,’ he said.
The 59-year-old said the man asked him for a cigarette and when he wouldn’t hand on over the encounter quickly turned violent
‘When I got to the car, he grabbed either my bag or my jacket and slung me to the ground,’ he said
The attacker stole a laptop bag containing Mr Castley’s $800 takings for the day.
Police believed the attack was premeditated as he was seen stalking his victim on CCTV.
‘He just wanted a smoke, and I refused to give him one. It’s a bit of a worry to think of the extent that people will go to,’ he said.
Mr Castley said he was kicked in the head several times while he was on the ground, suffering grazes on his knees and back and needing stitches in his head