Taxi driver is left scarred for life after row over £10 fare

A TAXI driver scarred for life over a £10 fare today spoke about his nightmare ordeal and says he has been left afraid to work nights.

Alan Gunn's eyebrow was torn open in the vicious and unprovoked attack, leaving the father-of-three off work for several months.

The 46-year-old black cab driver described how he was pummelled "30 or 40 times" by Nathan Mackay, 22, who has since admitted the attack, which happened outside his home in Gorgie last July.

Mr Gunn also said his attacker stood over him and laughed, saying, "Look at the mess of your face".

Mr Gunn was treated in hospital and, while recovering at home, his father died just days after the incident.

His mother died a fortnight later. Both had been ill for some time.

Mr Gunn said today: "My sister didn't recognise me in the hospital and walked past me a few times, before someone showed her to me.

"The doctors said another fraction of inch and it would have been my eye. But the worst part was I couldn't take my mum and sister to hospital to see my dad, who was very unwell by that point."

After losing thousands of pounds in earnings and having to repair damage to his taxi, a brick hit Mr Gunn's cab on the first night he returned to work.

He said: "It had been a really tough time, but that just crumbled me. I had to take time off and I haven't been able to face late-night shifts since. I used to work until 4:30am but I come home at 1am at the latest now. I used to make good money, now I just make enough to pay the bills."

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday how Mackay, 22, had been out celebrating the birthday of Rebecca French when Mr Gunn picked them up to take them home to Sinclair Place.

Fiscal depute Ruth Ross-Davie said Mackay had repeatedly punched Mr Gunn in the head, adding police noted he was barely conscious after the attack.

Mackay admitted carrying out the assault. Sentence was deferred to next month.

Rebecca French, 21, was also charged with carrying out the assault but her plea of not guilty was accepted by the Crown.

Mr Gunn, who is also a grandfather of two, said Mackay appeared to blame the loss of his mobile phone and watch in another black cab on Mr Gunn, and said he was never going to pay a taxi fare again and got out of the taxi.

Describing the incident, he said: "I felt two blows from behind and then I was on the ground.

"He was kneeling on me, putting all his weight on me, and hitting me 30 or 40 times. It seemed like it went on forever.

"When it finished he stood up and laughed and said, 'look at the mess of your face ya *****'.I remember the words exactly."

He added: "The same night I was attacked my friend had a knife pulled on him. We shouldn't have to work with this kind of thing."