Taxi driver accused of kidnap 'was assaulted by women', Hull Crown Court hears

A TAXI operator told a jury that a driver accused of kidnapping his passengers in a bid to commit sex acts had been forced to throw them out of his car.

Taxi driver Karl Marson, 35, collected three women outside the Weir Bar, in Hessle, on September 8 and is said to have driven them to a secluded area in Willerby.

One of the women told him during the journey that she had no money to pay for the taxi back to west Hull and it is alleged Mr Marson demanded they perform sex acts in exchange for payment.

Taxi operator Colin Loftus told Hull Crown Court that following the incident, Mr Marson telephoned into the Hessle taxi office to say he had been forced to eject three young women from his car after they told him they had no money.

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He claimed Mr Marson said they had offered him sex in exchange for the fare and when he refused they assaulted him.

Mr Loftus, who has worked as a taxi operative for 14 years, said: "He said he had problems with his passengers and he had to put them out of the cab because they refused to pay their fare.

"The girls in the car threatened him and said they were going to ring the police if he didn't take them home.

"He said they were drunk and high on drugs, he said they were high on MCat. When they said they were not going to pay the fare that's when he stopped in Blackthorn Lane, near the waterworks.

"He told them to get out of the car and that's when they said they would ring the police.

"They slapped him as they got out of the car. He said he couldn't tell if he had been slapped or punched.

"I told him he should ring the police and report that he hadn't been paid the fare. He then drove back to Hessle to the office. He showed me the side of his face where he had a little red mark where he had been slapped. I had a joke with him about it."

In cross-examination, Mr Marson's barrister Richard Thompson put it to Mr Loftus that the defendant had told him the women had offered to perform sex acts on him.

Mr Loftus replied: "It was along those lines.

"They told him they would call the police if he didn't take them home.

"The customers liked him, there were no complaints. He was one of our best drivers."

Mr Loftus said Mr Marson told him they had offered him sex acts once they had been ejected from the car.

Mr Marson, of Tickton Grove, Hull, denies three charges of kidnap, committing kidnap with intent to commit a sex offence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

The trial continues.