Woman jailed after robbing taxi driver in Logan with piece of glass

A woman has violently robbed a taxi driver with a piece of glass in Crestmead because she could not pay the fare, a court has heard.

A woman robbed a taxi driver with a broken piece of glass after her bank card was declined and she refused to pay the fare, a court has been told.

Beenleigh District Court heard Tarryn Dawn Hartley, 34, called the taxi on January 14 last year outside the Clark Hotel in Waterford West and asked to be taken to Crestmead.

She told the taxi driver she had only $20. He said that was fine as the fare would be $17.

She then changed her mind and asked the driver to take her to a bottle shop.

Hartley went to pay and her bank card was twice declined.

When the driver asked how she was going to pay she said: “I don’t know, I have no cash.”

The driver told Hartley he would call the police if she did not pay and she then became aggressive.

“I’m in a bit of a bad spot,” Hartley said.

“I don’t want to have to cut you up, but I will.”

Hartley pulled out a piece of glass, held it towards him, said she would put it to his throat and demanded money.

She stole his bag and he got out of the car and asked for help, alerting security nearby.

They detained Hartley and took her identification.

The incident was captured on the taxi’s security footage.

Tarryn Hartley robbed a taxi driver with a piece of glass. Picture: Facebook

Hartley pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery.

Her lawyer told the court it was a case of opportunistic offending and there was no premeditation.

The court heard Hartley had been struggling with alcoholism from an early age, but had been taking positive steps in prison and was in a treatment program.

She had also shown remorse for her actions and was nurturing a fellow inmate while serving time.

Judge Rowan Jackson, QC, said the defendant’s offending was very serious.

“Threatening taxi drivers with weapons simply cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Hartley was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ jail and was due for parole release on February 11, 2023.