Darwin taxi driver avoids conviction for punching other cabbie in dispute over parking spot

A Darwin taxi driver who punched another taxi driver in the face over a dispute about a parking spot has avoided a conviction for the assault.

A taxi driver who punched another taxi driver in the face has avoided a conviction.

A DARWIN taxi driver who punched another taxi driver in the face over a dispute about a parking spot has avoided a conviction for the assault.

Antonio De Oliveira Camara, 51, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court on Thursday to aggravated assault following the altercation late last year.

The court heard Camara was waiting for a fare outside the Oaks Elan Hotel on Woods St shortly after 8am on November 4 when the other man approached him after dropping off his own passenger and told him to move his taxi.

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Prosecutor Lajita Allan-Agnew said when Camara told the other man he was waiting for a fare and refused to move, the other driver insisted and called him a “f***ing idiot”.

Ms Allan-Agnew said Camara responded by punching him in the face, causing a cut to his eyebrow and then pushed him several times in the chest.

When police arrived, Ms Agnew said Camara admitted to punching the victim and that his conduct was wrong and expressed his regret.

Camara’s lawyer, Peter Maley, said his client was a “model taxi driver” who was held in high regard by his colleagues and had “never put a foot wrong” prior to the assault.

Mr Maley said a victim impact statement tendered to the court showed the victim’s injury only had a “transient effect” and it was he who got out of his cab and abused Camara first.

Mr Maley said the other man had accused Camara of acting like an animal or a “chimpanzee” and he “interpreted it as having racial overtones”, which was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

In arguing for no conviction to be imposed, Mr Maley said Camara’s taxi licence could be in jeopardy as a result of the charge and the assault was completely out of character.

Mr Maley said his client had migrated to Australia from East Timor 22 years ago and had been “abused, harassed, spat on” during his time as a taxi driver but had “never, ever reacted this way”.

“This is an aberration,” he said.

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Mr Maley said the pushes only came in response to Camara again being approached by the other man and he returned to the scene after police arrived and apologised.

In handing Camara a 12-month good behaviour bond, judge Alan Woodcock said taking into account his “exemplary character to this point” it would be “entirely appropriate” not to impose a conviction.

“You’ve done the wrong thing here, you know that,” he said.