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Arsonists Ask Taxi Driver To Stop For Beer Then Set Fire To His Car

Arsonists Ask Taxi Driver To Stop For Beer Then Set Fire To His Car

The two men have each been jailed for over five years after they left the taxi driver scrambling to get his belongings from his burning car

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Two men have been jailed after setting fire to a taxi driver's car - they had asked him to pull over so they could buy beer but instead pumped petrol onto the backseats of the vehicle.

Warren Hearne, 36, and accomplice Danny Frost, 27, were picked up from Romney Marsh in Kent on December 15 2017 following a night out.

According to the Metro, the pair threatened the driver, Abdulawar Malikzadev, with an iron bar and Hearne even tried to open his passenger door as the car was moving.

Warren Hearne (left) and Danny Frost (right) have each been jailed after setting fire to a taxi in the forecourt of a petrol station.
Kent Police

At around 11pm, the men then asked Mr Malikzadev to pull up at a BP garage in Hythe, Kent, declaring their intention to buy beer.

The driver duly stopped - however, neither of his passengers went inside for beer. Instead, father-of-three Hearne opened the back door of the taxi and started acting suspiciously.

CCTV footage shows Hearne loitering outside the taxi before stumbling to a petrol pump. He then takes the pump and points it at the back seat of the car.

Warren Hearne pumped petrol into the backseats of a taxi before setting fire to it.
Kent Police

Petrol - worth 41p - was poured onto the backseats and moments later they were set on fire before Hearne and Frost ran away.

The taxi went up in flames as the driver grabbed his belongings and fled to safety. A call was made to the fire service and the road was closed while the fire was put out.

Hearne from Hythe and Frost from Ashford were identified via the CCTV footage and arrested soon after the incident.

After dousing the backseats of the taxi in petrol Warren Hearne and Danny Frost set it on fire.
Kent Police

They both pleaded guilty to arson and were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on 14 December - nearly a year after the initial offence took place.

Hearne received six years and four months in prison while Frost was sentenced to five years and seven months.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Kay Brown said: "This was an extremely dangerous thing to do, which could have caused significant harm to anyone nearby at the time.

Warren Hearne and Danny Frost left the taxi driver Abdulawar Malikzadev scrambling for his belongings after they set his taxi on fire.
Kent Police

"Luckily the driver escaped the incident without injury but his vehicle, which is his livelihood, was destroyed in the fire.

"There is no excuse for what they did and thankfully they will serve time in prison for this unprovoked and reckless attack on an innocent man.

"I hope this sentence will give them time to consider the consequences of their actions and make better choices in the future."

Featured Image Credit: Kent Police

Topics: kent, UK News, News, Taxi, Fire, UK, court

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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