Recovered dashcam footage showed enger pulling knife on Cork taxi driver

Disturbing dashcam footage played in court showed a enger pulling a knife on a 75-year-old taxi driver during a hijacking.'

The taxi driver was forced out of the car and left alone on the side of a country road in the dark.

He believed he was going to die or get a heart attack. Now his family tells him he is not the same man since this happened and he said this is true.

The front seat enger who pulled the knife, 34-year-old Daniel Heaphy of 12 Dunmore Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork, was jailed for eight years.

A co-accused who was a backseat enger during the hijacking, 39-year-old Anthony Hornibrook of 71 Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork, was sentenced to four years for his part in the same crime. 

While he did not wield the knife it was the prosecution case that he was involved in a t enterprise with Daniel Heaphy, and that he also left the scene in the car, leaving the unfortunate driver standing alone on the side of a country road in the early hours of the morning.

Dashcam

Amazingly, while the taxi was never recovered, the dashcam was found in a field by a man walking a dog some two months later.

The picture-perfect video of the violent incident was shown during the sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The taxi driver was present in court for the sentencing evidence but took the opportunity to leave the court when the violent incident was being shown.

As the knife was pulled on him the culprit pushed him and shouted: “Get out of the f***ing taxi now, give me the f***ing key.” 

The victim said in his impact statement: “I have been taxiing for around 35 years, and until the night of 26th of January (2024), I enjoyed working in the taxi industry.

“That night, my whole life changed. The night I was assaulted I thought I was going to die. To be taken out a country road and have a knife put to my throat is a trauma that will never leave me. To feel the blade pressing into my face is something that I will never forget the feel of. 

"The fear that went through my mind, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. To be left on the side road in the pitch black, as they stole my livelihood is something that still runs through my mind. I am forever grateful for the kindness of people living in the area who found me on the road that night.," he said.

Wary

“Through financial constraints I returned to the taxi industry but I now look at it differently. I keep the taxi door locked at all times and I am always wary of people that approach the car. Quite often I refuse to take people purely because I think the same thing is going to happen again. I have ongoing panic attacks and often have to come home after an hour as I get frightened when working.

“At home my family tell me, I am not the same person since that night. They are right. I have changed locks and put in security cameras in my house as I live in fear of something else happening to me. The terror of what happened that night is something I will never get over and I am still affected by what happened. I have good days and bad days but I honestly don't know whether I will ever get over what happened.

“Because of those men the little savings I had are now gone. They have damaged me mentally and financially, I will never forgot or forgive them.” 

Sentencing

Sentencing of Heaphy was dealt with at an earlier hearing and now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Anthony Hornibrook has been jailed for his part.

Judge Helen Boyle said: “I accept you were in the back seat and did not use the knife. But you were part of the group who got into the taxi, and part of the group who sped off in the taxi, leaving him at the side of the road. You are before the court on the common design of hijacking.

“You accept it was a disgrace what happened to the taxi driver and you were using heroin for long time. And the reason for the spree (Anthony Hornibrook pleaded guilty to other charges related to multiple thefts) was to get finances to feed your addiction.” 

The four-year-prison sentence is consecutive to a sentence he is serving for another crime which is due to be served by January 2026.