Blake Westnidge sentenced in Southport court for assaulting taxi driver at Broadbeach

The victim of the Gold Coast dad of two still had blood running from his nose when he reported the ‘appalling’ assault to police, a court has been told. FULL DETAILS

A Gold Coast dad of two has walked away from court after unleashing a “disgusting” drunken attack on a taxi driver just moments after getting into his cab.

Shocking video footage captured Blake Westnidge’s assault on the 13Cabs driver, who picked him up on Victoria Ave in Broadbeach at about 11.50pm on February 11 last year.

Southport Magistrates Court was told Westnidge asked to be taken to Robina’s Cbus Super Stadium, with the bizarre request prompting the cabbie to ask for payment upfront.

Prosecutor Gavin Reece said the 40-year-old refused and ignored the driver’s repeated requests for payment.

Westnidge then struck the taxi driver in the face several times, telling him to “call the f**king cops, you f**king c**t” and calling him a “f**king grub” during the attack.

Blake Westnidge refused to answer reporters' questions as he left the courthouse. Picture: Jessica Paul

The injured cabbie was able to flee from the vehicle before being hit a fourth time.

Mr Reece said the driver had blood streaming from his nose when he reported the assault to police, suffering soft tissue damage to his face and nose.

Westnidge told police when they caught up with him months later that his drunkenness that night left him with no recollection of the attack.

Defence barrister Marcin Lazinski said his client had only recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD, with those concerns untreated at the time.

Mr Lazinski said the construction supervisor had started to address the alcohol abuse that fuelled much of his offending and wanted to continue his rehabilitation.

Magistrate Mark Bamberry slammed Westnidge’s “appalling and disgusting” assault on a taxi driver who rightly questioned a trip to the stadium in the middle of the night.

“He says, ‘So how about you give me the money upfront,’ and you lose the plot and start laying into him,” Mr Bamberry said.

Westnidge pleaded guilty to several charges including assault occasioning bodily harm in a public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.

He was placed on probation for two years, fined $500, and ordered to complete 100 hours’ community service. No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Blake Westnidge sentenced in Southport court for assaulting taxi driver at Broadbeach