Derbyshire mechanic fractured man’s skull in taxi mix-up

Christopher Curzon-Pollard "appeared to be very drunk" when he drove a borrowed taxi to the Noahs Ark pub, in Derby, at 11.15pm on March 1, said prosecutor Sarah Allen.

When a man assumed he was a taxi driver, he flew into a rage and punched him twice.

"His victim fell and his head hit the pavement with a slapping sound and he bled heavily," said Ms Allen.

Curzon-Pollard was aggressive towards onlookers and headbutted a man who tried to help.

He drove off, but returned to the pub, opposite Derby Crown Court, at 1am, when he was recognised by a witness and arrested.

Beer bottles were found in the car and a test revealed he had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

His victim was "completely unresponsive" when he was taken by ambulance to the Royal Derby Hospital.

Doctors reported he had a trauma to the brain, which caused swelling and bleeding, and his skull was fractured.

In a statement, his victim said the injuries have prevented him from driving and because he is unable to wear a headset, he can't work at his job in a call centre and has had to move back in with his father.

He said: "This incident has left me feeling anxious. I don't recall anything. I don't believe I would ever provoke any violence.

"This is going to be a long road to recovery. I am scared because I am in pain every day."

The court heard Curzon-Pollard had been asked to leave the pub earlier that day when he was drinking with friends because there were children with him.

Curzon-Pollard, who runs an MOT garage, is not a taxi driver and was driving someone else's vehicle.

He has 15 previous convictions for 34 offences, between 2004 and 2019, including dangerous driving and three drink driving offences in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Nicola Hunter, mitigating, said: "He had been out with his son. The complainant thought he was a taxi-driver. He misheard or misunderstood something that was said. He takes full responsibility.

"He tells me he had been pushed to the edge as a result of an unwarranted campaign against him. He had windows smashed on his house and customers' cars damaged.

"At the time of the offence he had just finished chemotherapy."

Curzon-Pollard, 32, of Ryecroft Street, Stapleford, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and drink driving.

Judge Robert Egbuna noted that stayed out of trouble for eight years but has since appeared in court for criminal damage, being drunk and disorderly and shoplifting.

"This offence is extremely serious because of the injury you caused," he said, at Derby Crown Court, on Friday.

"If you caused a subdural haematoma that led to death you would have appeared here for manslaughter."

Curzon-Pollard, who has been banned for ten years before, received another three-year ban from driving, which will come into effect when he is released.