Photo: Oliver Nowak / 123RF
A woman who stabbed a taxi driver in Christchurch has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Rangimaria Sellars pleaded guilty to the stabbing last year, which critically injured the driver.
The 46-year-old was sentenced at Manukau District Court in Auckland on Wednesday to 40 months' imprisonment.
Outlining the summary of facts, Judge Patel explained Sellars was a passenger in the man's taxi on her way to Christchurch Airport on 10 October 2024.
"You told the driver you didn't have any money to pay your fare, and he pulled over," Judge Patel read.
"Using a knife you stabbed [him] six times."
Sellars was arrested shortly after, and she later claimed the victim had touched her leg - though this was proven false.
"It has been accepted by your lawyer that the CCTV footage indicates he did not touch your leg," Patel said
Sellars was intoxicated during the attack, under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.
She also had an extensive criminal history, and had been released from prison just one month prior.
"That strongly brings in to consideration the need to protect the public from you," Judge Patel said.
Sellars was given a discount to her sentence for pleading guilty at the earliest possible moment, and in acknowledgement of her difficult upbringing.
The Small Passenger Service Association executive director Warren Quirke told RNZ in November that independent taxi operators were at the highest risk of violent attacks, because they did not have backup to support them during such incidents.
Legislation introduced in 2011 required cameras to be installed in all taxis, following the murders of two taxi drivers in Auckland and Christchurch.
The Transport Minister said at the time he was appalled by the stabbing.
Simeon Brown said taxi drivers and public transport workers should be able to go about their jobs without fear of violence.
He said proposed changes to legislation would lead to harsher penalties for those who target taxi and bus drivers.
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