A man and woman due to be sentenced this week for attacking a Bradford taxi driver in broad daylight on a petrol station forecourt have been spared arrest warrants for not attending court.

Naomi Warwick struck the cabbie on the head with a hammer before her then partner Reiss Callendar ran up, threw ‘a flying punch’ at him, and stole his money bag containing up to £120.

Both were due to attend Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon to be sentenced after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to causing the taxi driver grievous bodily harm on July 23, 2019.

Warwick, 29, of London Road, Croydon, admitted possession of the small hammer as an offensive weapon and doing £100 damage to the taxi by smashing the windscreen. Callendar, 30, of Danby Street, East Dulwich, London, pleaded guilty to theft of the victim’s money.

On Wednesday, neither turned up at court to be sentenced. Daniel Penman, Callendar’s barrister, said his client had suffered ‘a mental health crisis’ and was being given intensive treatment in the community.

For Warwick, it was stated that Callendar had told her ahead of the hearing that it was to be adjourned so she didn’t catch the train from London to Bradford.

When she realised that was wrong, she had tried to get to court but wouldn’t have made it before 5pm.

The court heard that she too was undergoing mental health treatment with psychiatric and psychological reports lined up.

The judge, Recorder Mark McKone QC, said he was perhaps taking ‘a sympathetic course’ by not issuing warrants for the arrest of the defendants.

He adjourned the case for a mention hearing on May 5 to see how the medical reports were going and listed it again for sentence on June 6.

Recorder McKone said that they were serious offences and immediate custodial sentences were likely.

Warwick and Callendar set about the cabbie in front of horrified bystanders.

They were living together at an address in Bradford at the time before relocating to London.

They were in the taxi when they asked the driver to stop at the Bradford petrol station. Callendar then got out and Warwick started swearing loudly at the driver when he said he should hurry up.

The victim gave back a £5 note that Callendar had handed him and said they should get another taxi. Warwick then attacked the vehicle and the driver with the hammer.

The cabbie was treated in hospital for a 3cm cut to his head. He had to take time off work and he suffered with headaches and loss of confidence when doing his job.

Warwick had previous convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery. Callendar had convictions for battery, non-payment of a fare and threatening behaviour.