Broome brother and sister plead guilty to taxi driver bashing

A Broome brother and sister have admitted to assaulting a 50-year-old taxi driver after a verbal argument was taken too far. Deanna Ahchoo and Samuel Ricky Ahchoo appeared in Broome Magistrate’s Court on Monday last week. They pleaded guilty to assaulting the on-duty taxi driver. The court heard Mr Ahchoo and a male friend were picked up by the taxi driver about 4pm on May 9 and taken to Town Beach to pick up Ms Ahchoo. It was understood the sister became agitated and started arguing with the taxi driver and the altercation was on the verge of becoming physical. The brother proceeded to punch the taxi driver to the right side of their head with such force, he fell to the ground, suffering a cut lip and abrasions. While the sister’s lawyer, Brianna Lonnie, told the court Ms Ahchoo was wanting to take part in a victim mediation program in an effort to apologise to the taxi driver, Mr Ahchoo’s lawyer Richard Brandon-Baker submitted the punch was acting in defence of his sister and he was since remorseful of the assault. During their respective hearings, Magistrate Stephen Sharratt commended Ms Ahchoo for being willing to go through victim mediation. “It can’t be easy to face the person you assaulted and apologise for what you did, so I think you’re doing the right thing there,” he said. However, Magistrate Sharratt told Mr Ahchoo it was “not a noble act” for him to intervene the way he did. “You essentially turned that argument into a two-on-one situation and it is very lucky that taxi driver does not have any lasting damage from the assault,” he said. Because of the brother’s past record of assaults, Mr Ahchoo was sentenced to seven months in prison and will be eligible for parole in September. The sister is due to be sentenced on August 24.