Mitchell Anthony Ralston chokes taxi driver, claims he was blacked out

A taxi driver spent a night in hospital and was unable to eat solid food for a week after a vicious attack by a tradie on the Gold Coast.

A HIGH pressure cleaner and painter who tried to choke a taxi driver who declined to take a fare at a discount claimed he blacked out at the time.

Mitchell Anthony Ralston left the cabbie in hospital overnight and unable to eat solid food for a week after the daylight attack in Broadbeach on January 6 this year.

The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over the age of 60.

CCTV footage played to the court showed Ralston getting into the back of a cab and offering to pay $50 for a trip from Broadbeach to Reedy Creek.

When the cabbie refused, Ralston appeared incredulous the driver would not take $50 for a $57 trip.

“You are a rip off c*** you should be f***ing reported,” Ralston is heard saying on the tape.

He then swiped the cab driver’s sunglasses off his face.

Mitchell Anthony Ralston (right) leaves Southport Court with his lawyer Michael Gatenby, of Gatenby Criminal Lawyers. Picture: Lea Emery

Ralston can be heard saying: “If I had the chance I’d rip your f**ing head off.”

The cab driver got out of the cab and Ralston followed.

The pair got into a tussle and fell to the ground.

When they got up, Ralston kicked out at the cab driver and the pair again tussled.

When they fell to the ground, Ralston had the cab driver in a headlock and squeezed.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Nicole Conditsis told the court the cab driver was left shaken, spent the night in hospital under observation, needed to take a week off work and could not eat solid food for a week.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert sentenced him to 12 months prison with immediate parole and ordered Ralston pay the cab driver $2000 in compensation.

“Your behaviour was unacceptable for someone simply doing his job,” she said.

Magistrate Kahlert said the offending was also “terribly selfish” as it put the jobs of Ralston’s four employees at risk if he went to prison.

Magistrate Kahlert denied a media application for a copy of the CCTV footage out of concerns for Ralston’s mental health and the cab driver.

All media outlets had agreed to blur the face of the cab driver.

Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby, of Gatenby Criminal Lawyers, said Ralston could not explain his behaviour and “describes it as being an outburst or blackout”.

Mr Gatenby said Ralston was trying to get home and “felt threatened”.

He said Ralston had been diagnosed with depression and ADHD.

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Originally published as Mitchell Anthony Ralston chokes taxi driver, claims he was blacked out