AN UNEMPLOYED Poole man has been warned he faces a prison sentence after being convicted of robbing a taxi driver.

During his two-day trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, 20-year-old Shaun Hayward had denied threatening to knife cabbie Christopher Foster on April 30 this year.

Mr Foster, 41, a freelance driver working for Poole Radio Cabs, told jurors how Hayward, of Jersey Close, had threatened to knife him to death outside Chilli's nightclub in Poole.

He said he had been terrified, particularly after Hayward put his hand in his left pocket after the threat. "Straight away I thought: 'Is he going to do what he's been saying?' Then the fear kicked in and the fare became irrelevant and I gave him the money."

Giving evidence, Hayward, who denied a single charge of robbery, said he had been drinking from noon until 7pm.

After returning home he had ordered a taxi to drop him off outside Chilli's and described his conversation with Mr Foster as "friendly".

But Hayward had claimed the driver had seemed "aggressive" when offered £5 instead of the full fare of more than £7.

He said: "He leant over towards me and I thought he was threatening me. I snatched the money out of his hand as he was counting it and got out of the cab. I said I would give him a slap."

Hayward claimed he had rung the cab company a few minutes later offering to pay the fare before getting a bus home.

Adjourning sentencing until November 26 for reports, Judge John Harrow warned Hayward: "The most likely outcome of these proceedings is a prison sentence. All options are open but that is what you are facing."

Hayward was granted conditional bail.

First published: November 3