At first glance, it looks like an all-too-familiar tale of frayed tempers getting a little too heated in the street.
But moments later, as these grainy CCTV images reveal, events take a more sinister turn. A man is left lying bleeding in the road as the taxi which ploughed into him speeds off into the night.
Driver Mohammed Javed, 45, ‘used his taxi as a weapon’, driving it straight at passenger Huw Lloyd in an argument over a fare, a court heard.
Javed, the driver, centre, argues with Mr Lloyd, left, about the fare for the short journey across Bristol
Javed, left, throws a punch while Mr Lloyd's friend looks on
Javed was jailed for six months and banned from driving for two years
The impact knocked Mr Lloyd on to the bonnet and he clung on desperately before he was thrown to the ground, suffering head injuries and a broken hand.
Moments earlier, the driver had been arguing with Mr Lloyd and his friend Polly Nicalaous about the fare for a short journey across Bristol after a night out.
The drama unfolded at 3am on April 25 after the pair had asked Javed if he could take them to nearby Stoke’s Croft for £7.
The driver said he would charge according to the meter and they got in, the court heard.
When the meter reached £6 they asked to be let out but Javed kept driving.
They threatened to call the police unless he stopped, but he kept going, before pulling over in Stoke’s Croft where the meter showed £8, Bristol Crown Court heard.
The passengers told him they would only pay £5 because they had asked him to stop.
Eric Waley, prosecuting, said: ‘Javed got out of his taxi, seemed to put his arm out to stop them leaving and is seen to throw a punch at Mr Lloyd who seems to block it.
Mr Lloyd shouts at Javed who has returned to the taxi
Mr Lloyd stands with his arms outstretched blocking the taxi after trying to take a photo
'The defendant ran back to his car. Mr Lloyd returned to take a photo on his BlackBerry.
‘A black cloud of dust can be seen from the wheels spinning where he [Javed] clearly has his foot down on the accelerator.’
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Javed, of Bristol, admitted dangerous driving and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for six months and banned from driving for two years. Recorder Simon Foster told him: ‘It is extraordinary that there was not more injuries caused.’
Mr Lloyd, circled, is left lying in the street after being hit
People beckon for help as Huw Lloyd lies in a road in Bristol after being knocked over by Muhammed Javed
A police officer arrives at the scene and calms people while a woman tends to Mr Lloyd who suffered from a broken wrist
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