Detectives and minicab firm bosses have welcomed the jailing of a thug who terrorised a cabbie in a knifepoint robbery.

Mohammed Abbas, 35, needed hospital treatment for a cut to his hand after suffering a knife wound in the incident.

He was attacked by passenger Kyle Thompson after collecting a late-night fare from an address in Clayton, Bradford.

Thompson, 20, of New Works Road, Low Moor, Bradford, was jailed for three and a half years by Judge Peter Benson after being fast-tracked to Bradford Crown Court when he pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.

Mr Abbas picked up Thompson from a house in Derby Street, at 10pm on Monday, September 24.

But after driving only a couple of hundred metres, his passenger pulled out a knife and demanded money.

The private hire driver said after the incident: “He went for my leg with the knife. I moved out of the way, but then he went for my neck. I put my hand in the way to protect myself and it was cut by the knife.”

A total of £50 was taken in the robbery.

Mr Abbas had to take time off work because of the injury and considered giving up his job. But he has now returned to day shifts with his company, Girlington All Over Taxis.

He said yesterday: “It has been very tough to get back to work, but if I hadn’t have done he would have won. I am happy with the sentence and I think it will be a deterrent to others. I hope it will teach him a lesson and he won’t do anything like it again.”

Taxi company manager Asif Shah said: “The sentence is definitely a deterrent and I hope it sends out the message – don’t do it. It was an awful attack and could have been a lot worse for Mohammed and the sentence reflects that.”

After the case, Detective Sergeant Stuart Lyons, of Airedale and North Bradford CID, said: “We take attacks on taxi drivers extremely seriously and this sentence should serve as a clear warning to others considering doing the same.”