A “nutter” passenger robbed a terrified cabbie in a horrific knifepoint attack before driving off in his taxi which he crashed and then set on fire.

Alexander Hindmarsh told the driver “I will stab you in the face, I'm a nutter” and used racial slurs before he hit the driver in the face twice during the terror journey.

Newcastle Crown Court the victim has been left scared to go out alone, traumatised by nightmares and flashbacks, and said: “I cannot see me ever being the same again.”

Hindmarsh, 37, of no fixed address, who has a criminal record and poses a “high risk” of future violence, admitted robbery, having a bladed article, aggravated vehicle taking and arson and has now been jailed for seven years and four months.

Alexander Hindmarsh has been jailed after robbing a taxi driver and driving off in his cab.

placeholder image — Alexander Hindmarsh has been jailed after robbing a taxi driver and driving off in his cab.

The court heard Hindmarsh and another man, who was “completely out of it” and did not join in the violence, had got into the taxi, an £11,500 Hyundai, at Springwell Road, in Sunderland, on August 22 and asked to be taken to Asda in August.

The driver advised them the store would be closed at that time, in the early hours of the morning, but Hindmarsh insisted on being taken there.

Prosecutor Antonia Adie said when the store was closed as expected, Hindmarsh asked to be taken to the Asda in Boldon and was told he would have to pre-pay but his card declined.

The men were then asked to leave the cab but refused and Hindmarsh asked to be taken back to where they were picked up so he could collect cash, which the driver reluctantly agreed to.

Once they got there Hindmarsh demanded money and threatened the driver that he would cut his eyeballs out.

Miss Adie said: “The defendant pulled out a knife and held it close to the complainant on the left side of the cheek."

Hindmarsh then started using racist taunts, issued more threats and hit the cabbie in the face twice until he was forced out of his own vehicle.

Miss Adie added: “The defendant then said he would take the car for a spin and it was driven away at high speed.”

Hindmarsh was caught on the camera inside the vehicle talking about burning it out and saying: “I've just done a knife-point robbery, I'll get a hammering for it.”

He then crashed into another car and a wall.

Fortunately, the cabbie's phone, which was still in the car, contained a tracker which led police to the vehicle, which had fire damage to the driver's side.

The victim said in a statement he now feels “scared all the time”, cannot go out alone and has been given medication by his doctor to help him sleep.

He said he and other drivers now fear working at night.

Liam O'Brien, defending Hindmarsh, said this was a “difficult” case to mitigate and added: “This is horrific offending, a hard working, innocent man going about his daily life is subjected to an absolutely terrifying ordeal, there is no getting around that.”

Mr O'Brien said Hindmarsh was homeless, has mental health problems, has a poor education and work record but has shown remorse.