By Jason Evans

Copyright walesonline

A customer threatened a taxi driver with a pair of scissors before stealing his cab, a court has heard. Nicholas Daniel then became involved in a police pursuit in the stolen car during which he rammed police vehicles, collided with cars, and narrowly avoided knocking down a motorcyclist. Swansea Crown Court heard that in the weeks leading up to the robbery, Daniel’s family had tried to get him help for his mental health which was seen to deteriorating significantly. The 35-year-old has now been diagnosed with schizophrenia and severe personality disorder, or schizoaffective disorder, and been made the subject of a hospital order. Ian Wright, prosecuting, told the court that at just after 6pm on July 29 last year the defendant was picked up from his mother’s home in Waunarlwydd by a Yellow Cabs taxi. The defendant asked to be taken to the Jak’s store on nearby Swansea Road. The court heard that Daniel popped into the shop and returned to the cab a short time later with a number of items including alcohol, getting into the front passenger seat of the Skoda. The defendant then produced a pair of scissors from the waistband of his trousers. The prosecutor said the taxi driver did not initially think the defendant was being serious but Daniel held the weapon close to the cabbie’s stomach and told him “I’m serious. I don’t want to hurt you. You have to get out”. The cabbie grabbed his mobile and money bag but was told to leave the keys in the ignition. The victim alighted the taxi and the defendant slid across into the driver’s seat then drove off in the direction of Gowerton The prosecutor said the stolen taxi was spotted by police in Morriston at 7.30pm that evening and was seen to be driven “erratically” and swerving across the road. Police vehicles tried to box-in and stop the Skoda but Daniel deliberately rammed the police cars and reversed over a grassy verge at the side of the road to get away. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter The court heard Daniel hit speeds of 60mph as he headed towards Morriston Cross, and the pursuing officers saw him driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly avoiding collisions with a number of cars and motorbike. A “stinger” was deployed to puncture the taxi’s tyres and in trying to avoid the device the defendant lost control of the cab and hit a traffic island in the middle of the road before crashing into a parked car and then into an oncoming car. Daniel again tried to reverse away but police vehicles blocked his escape, and as officers approached the taxi the defendant was seen to reach into his jacket so officers drew their Tasers. The court heard Daniel was arrested and his reply to being cautioned was “I don’t answer questions”. Scissors were recovered from the back seat of the car which it later emerged the defendant had taken from his mother’s house. The defendant told officers he had taken an overdose so was taken to Morriston Hospital where he refused to provide a specimen of blood for analysis. In his subsequent interview he told officers he had taken the cab with the intention of driving it to Worm’s Head on Gower and driving off the cliffs to end his life. The court heard he could not explain why he had driven to Morriston instead. When asked about the manner of his driving the defendant – who only held a provisional licence – said he was an “excellent” driver. The taxi which Daniel stole was written off, as was one of the cars he crashed into – a vehicle which belonged to a community mental health nurse and which she used for her work. Nicholas Daniel, of Felindre, Swansea, had pleaded guilty to robbery, dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and driving without insurance on December 6 last year, three days before his trial had been due to start. At the time he had been deemed fit to plea and to stand trial. The defendant returned to the dock for sentencing on October 1 via videolink from a mental health hospital in Milton Keynes following the completion of psychiatric reports. The court heard Daniel has relevant previous convictions including vehicle interference, theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle, going equipped, burglary, and two counts of robbery. Both robberies relate to raids on shops in Waunarlwydd. The first robbery, from 2009, saw Daniel and another male don balaclavas and arm themselves with baseball bats to rob the village’s CK shop where they smashed up glass displays and ordered staff to open the safe. As they left the shop, one of the intruders shouted “Nice one!”. Daniel was sentenced to three years detention in a young offenders institution for that offence. The second robbery saw Daniel and another man targeting another shop in Waunarlwydd in 2012 during which they approached staff demanding money before entering the office and taking cash. He was sentenced to 43 months in prison for that offence. Steve Burnell, for Daniel, said there were two very detailed psychiatric reports before the court which set out the defendant’s mental health situation and assessments of the risk he poses, and he invited the court to consider following their recommendations. The court heard evidence from a psychiatrist who confirmed the defendant’s diagnosis of schizophrenia and severe personality disorder, or schizoaffective disorder. Judge Catherine Richards said a defendant without a mental health disorder would be facing a “significant” term of imprisonment for the offending before the court. But she said it was clear from everything she had read that in the weeks before the incident there had been a “significant deterioration” in Daniel’s mental health, a deterioration which was such that the both the defendant himself and his family had sought assistance. The judge said she was satisfied the defendant had been suffering from acute psychosis at the time of the offending including fixed persecutory hallucinations and command hallucinations, and she said she was satisfied the recommended disposal of a section 37 hospital order under the Mental Health Act combined with a section 41 restriction order without limit of time was necessary to protect the public. Get Swansea news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice