Cabbie tells of stabbing horror (From The Oxford Times)

Cabbie tells of stabbing horror

6:00am Monday 24th November 2008

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A minicab driver who was knifed in the stomach during a terrifying roadside robbery has described his attackers as inhuman.

Rana Shahid said he was convinced he was going to die when he was stabbed with a “Rambo-style” knife in Greater Leys.

His attackers had posed as police officers before grabbing the father-of-four and stabbing him when he fought back.

Mr Shahid, 41, from Kidlington, said: “I was terrified. I was so scared – I thought I was going to die.

“Why didn’t they just take the money and go? I don’t think they are human.”

Royal Cars driver Mr Shahid had been called to Greater Leys for a pick up at 8.45pm on Thursday, November 20, when he passed a black Ford Fiesta with the lights switched off in Grenoble Road, near the Kassam Stadium.

The car then overtook him and forced him to stop by driving in front of him.

A black man wearing a tie got out of the car, told Mr Shahid he was a police officer and said one of the driver’s rear lights wasn’t working.

When Mr Shahid got out to check the light another man grabbed him from behind while the first man took £60 from his pocket.

Mr Shahid, who has trained in Taekwondo, grabbed the first man’s hand, but the second man pulled out a knife with a serrated top edge.

The minicab driver said: “The guy with the knife just pushed my hand away and stabbed me straight in the stomach.

“When he did it I just felt a very sharp pain in my stomach. I thought ‘Bloody helhow has he stabbed me?’ “The knife was so big and scary. It was like the one in the film Rambo.

“He said to the other guy ‘I stabbed him, I stabbed him’ then they just rushed towards the car.

“I saw a white line on my stomach. As soon as I lifted my T-shirt up the line started filling with blood.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was just thinking of my children.”

Mr Shahid, a driver in Oxford for seven years, drove to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he was given internal and external stitches for the wound.

He said: “I don’t want to do this job anymore, but I have got no choice.”

Royal Cars runs a private hire minicab company in east Oxford.

Police have described both attackers as black, about 6ft tall and aged about 30.

Police have made no arrests.

Det Con Iain Spencer advised drivers to lock their doors and windows and not get out of their vehicles unless they saw some form of identification from anyone claiming to be a police officer.

He added: “This is a rare incident and we are working hard to catch those responsible. We have officers patrolling the area, making themselves available to anyone who may be concerned.”

Anyone with information has been asked to call Dc Iain Spencer on 08458 505505 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ghamilton@oxfordmail.co.uk

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