Peter Behiry, Matthew Heald guilty of common assault of Uber driver

After following each other through a Tasmanian city, two professional drivers with a deep dislike of each other found themselves facing off on a busy highway, with wild results.

A Tasmanian cabbie and his passenger assaulted an Uber driver on the shoulder of a busy highway, after a long history of animosity between the two rival drivers turned violent.

West Launceston taxi driver Peter Faragalla Eid Behiry, 27, and his passenger Matthew Raymond Heald, 29, of Trevallyn, were both found guilty by Launceston Magistrate Evan Hughes on Friday of common assault.

The offences occurred on the night of November 19–20 last year at the West Tamar Hwy near the South Esk River.

The victim had picked up a fare for Riverside when he came across Behiry, who likewise had a fare involving Heald and others, and the pair flipped each other the bird from behind the wheel.

The victim “recognised” Behiry from “previous incidents” and the pair had “perceived grievances”, Mr Hughes said.

“There was tension, if not animosity, between them,” Mr Hughes said.

Both cars travelled through the CBD and onto the West Tamar Hwy, with the victim at one point flashing his high beams at Behiry, the court heard.

On the highway, just past the South Esk River, both the victim and Behiry pulled their vehicles over.

Accounts differed of this decision to pull onto the shoulder.

West Launceston taxi driver Peter Faragalla Eid Behiry. Picture: Facebook

Behiry alleged the victim stopped in front of his car, while the Uber driver said Behiry’s taxi was already pulled over and one of the passengers struck his vehicle.

Mr Hughes made no finding in regards to this.

Behiry and Heald exited their vehicle, as did the Uber driver, before Heald pushed the victim to his chest and Behiry then punched him to his stomach with “seven out of 10 force”.

Behiry had previously argued that he never approached the Uber driver close enough to strike him.

However, a witness, a Wilson Security guard finishing up for the night, witnessed the confrontation and saw Behiry approach “aggressively” and the Uber driver’s demeanour was “distressed”.

Trevallyn builder Matthew Raymond Heald, 29. Picture: Facebook

Neither Behiry nor Heald had any criminal history, Mr Hughes told the court.

Behiry said he had been driving taxis for three years and was on the cusp of graduating from a marine engineering course at the University of Tasmania.

Heald informed the court he owned his own construction company, which employed four workers.

Mr Hughes found the assaults were out of character for both men, although he found Heald more culpable, despite the force he applied being lesser than Behiry, as his push “escalated” the confrontation.

Both were fined $900, ordered to pay costs and levies of $91.40, and convicted.