Man jailed for leaving taxi driver in 'code red' emergency after vicious stabbing

A man has been jailed for four years following a vicious assault which left a taxi driver bleed out on the side of an Irish road.

Emergency services declared a 'code red' situation after the driver was left bleeding profusely following a serious assault by two men eight years ago.

Ryan Cannon (29) was handed a four-year sentence for his role in the assault.

Imposing sentence, Judge Pauline Codd said the victim sustained extensive injuries and it is “lucky [Cannon] is not facing more serious charges” in relation to the incident on September 10, 2016.

Cannon, of Pinewood Green Hill, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a vehicle on the second day of his trial in April. 

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told that Cannon's co-accused is not before the courts as he passed away in 2017.

The court heard that the victim was working and had parked outside McDonald’s in Airside Retail Park at 2:50am on the night the incident occurred.

A man got into the front passenger seat of the taxi and shouted to another person, later identified as Cannon, to “come on.”

Cannon got in, and the taxi driver asked the two men where they wanted to go. The co-accused said, “just drive,” with Cannon saying to head towards Drogheda.

The victim started to drive, and the co-accused handed him a €50 note. He drove in the direction of the Pavilions Shopping Centre but got a bad feeling.

He pulled in and handed back the €50 note. The victim expected the two men to get out of the taxi, but the co-accused started to hit him in the face.

Cannon was sitting in the back seat and put a knife to the victim's neck, telling him to drive. The victim was in fear for his life and managed to stop at a roundabout before the shopping centre. 

While Cannon and the co-accused were getting out, the victim managed to escape, running down the road with the taxi's keys.

Both men followed him and continued the attack. The taxi driver handed them the keys. 

Cannon stabbed him around seven times. He and his co-accused got into the taxi, with Cannon driving away. The taxi was later found burnt out in the Balbriggan area. A phone worth €500 and €150 cash were in the taxi, but were not recovered.

The victim had another phone with him and was able to raise the alarm. 

Garda Sergeant Warren O'Sullivan told Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, that emergency services considered his injuries to be potentially so serious that they declared a 'code red' and he was taken to Beaumont Hospital.

He sustained bruising to his face and cuts to his torso, abdomen and shoulder. Both men were identified from CCTV.

Cannon ran away to the United Kingdom but was later arrested by arrangement.

He has 25 previous convictions and has been in custody since last October, during which time he served a seven-month sentence on a separate charge. 

An offer of €4,000 as compensation had been accepted by the victim.

Defence counsel said her client was “naive and foolish” to travel to the UK but noted that he returned voluntarily. He has three young children, and his time in custody has had an effect on his partner and wider family.

Despite this, Judge Codd said the victim was left “injured on the road” and in fear while doing his job. She also noted that his taxi was burnt out, and his insurance costs increased following this attack.

She said the use of the knife is an aggravating factor, noting that Cannon had escaped to the UK and “not face up to the consequences” of his actions at an early stage.

She said she took into account the mitigating factors, including Cannon's family support, his expressions of remorse and efforts to rehabilitate.

Judge Codd handed him a four-year prison sentence. She declined to suspend any part of the sentence, noting that while his time in custody would also impact on his family, “at the same time, these are very serious offences”.