Broome man jailed for taxi robbery

A Broome man has been jailed for threatening to hit an elderly taxi driver over the head with a tomahawk in an armed robbery. Nigel John Bin Kali, 35, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to the aggravated armed robbery which occurred last October. The court heard Bin Kali had attended Broome Regional Hospital around 2:30am, where he requested the staff to call a taxi for him. Bin Kali got into a taxi, which was being driven by a 67-year-old man, and he was taken to a property on Warnangarri Lane in Cable Beach. Upon arrival, Bin Kali requested the taxi driver to turn off the internal CCTV camera. When told the taxi driver was unable to do so, Bin Kali produced the tomahawk and threatened to hit the driver over the head unless he handed over his money, phone, bag and any other money in the vehicle. The driver, fearing for his safety, handed over $400 in Australian notes, a $20 American note, $50 in various coins, a brown shoulder bag that contained receipts and other work related documents, a 1.5 litre bottle of iced tea, breath mints and a packet of sanitary wipes. Shortly after Bin Kali exited the vehicle with the money and various items, the driver drove to the Broome Police Station to report the incident. In submissions, Bin Kali’s lawyer Brianna Lonnie told the court Bin Kali had the tomahawk in his possession for personal protection after he was attacked with an axe by a group of people several weeks prior, and did not pre-meditate the robbery. However, state prosecutor Mark Hunter submitted there was no evidence Bin Kali had the means to pay for the taxi fare and intended on using the money to obtain methamphetamine. In sentencing, Chief District Court Judge Julie Wager told Bin Kali the offence was clearly very serious because taxi drivers need to be able to operate without fear for their safety. “Any taxi driver doesn’t get paid enough and doesn’t take on the risk to their safety and harm of being attacked in their job,” she said. “He was 67 years old and so that’s an age where you should be getting respect, not getting threatened and not being the victim of violence.” Bin Kali will be eligible for parole in June 2021.