A Gwynedd councillor and taxi firm boss has pleaded guilty to assaulting one of his drivers in a scuffle which was recorded on the victim’s mobile phone.
Christopher James O’Neal who represents the Marchog ward in Bangor grabbed driver David John Williams from behind and began choking him in a row over wages, magistrates in Caernarfon heard.
O’Neal, 38, of The Stables, Tan y Marian, Bangor, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Williams at his Premier Cabs premises on High Street, Bethesda on January 14, this year.
Prosecutor Diane Williams said on that day, Mr Williams, had tried to “borrow money to buy food” from O’Neal’s brother as his wages hadn’t been paid into his account.
He had earlier tried to contact O’Neal but was told the taxi firm boss was in hospital with his wife.
Later in the day he decided to call into the taxi firm’s office but put his mobile phone on record before entering.
Read more: Bangor man accused of assault and unlawful wounding denies warning victim to drop charges
In the recording which was played to the court, Mr Williams was heard to ask O’Neal - who was present in the office - for his wages while O’Neal.
Miss Williams said O’Neal then “lost it” and started shouting and threatening the taxi driver.
He threw a walkie-talkie on the floor before he “grabbed him from behind” and started “choking” him.
In the recording, O’Neal is heard saying Mr Williams had “overstepped the mark” and that he would make sure he “would not be working for a taxi firm again in Gwynedd”.
Mr Williams could be heard shouting: “Chris, Chris! What are you doing?.”
After assaulting Mr Williams, O’Neal then tried to empty his pockets and searched him to look for the keys to his cab.
The court heard that O’Neal refused to allow Mr Williams to take his belongings from his cab and he had to ask a friend to pick him from the Bethesda base.
Shortly after the incident Mr Williams called the police and told them about the recording on his phone.
When he was interviewed by officers, Mr Williams told them: “He tried to choke me and there was reddening to my neck.”
O’Neal had initially denied choking Mr Williams and said he was “justified” in his actions.
Michael Strain for O’Neal said he felt “betrayed” and “let down” by Mr Williams but he did not dispute that he’d lost his temper.
Mr Strain, defending, said this was “out of character” for Mr O’Neal.
Mr Strain said O’Neal now accepted that he had “treated this situation totally wrongly”.
In mitigation Mr Strain said O’Neal’s wife had recently given birth to twin girls and it had been a very difficult pregnancy with one still having to attend Alder Hey, Liverpool.
O’Neal, who previously ran a security firm, had also lost his Hackney carriage licence.
Sentencing him, bench chairman Alistair Langdon said that O'Neal's behaviour had been "totally inappropriate" but "out of character". He added that that they were pleased that he had accepted he'd "lost control."
O'Neal was handed a community order to serve 200 hours unpaid work, and to pay Mr Williams £150 compensation. He was also ordered to pay £210 court costs.
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-councillor-chris-oneal-admits-11329240
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