Taxi driver who drove over Amsterdam woman after botched iPhone sale acquitted in court
The court in Amsterdam acquitted a taxi driver of attempted manslaughter for driving over a 24-year-old woman in Amsterdam-Noord during an argument about a purchased iPhone in April last year. The woman broke her pelvis. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) concluded that the man was acting in self-defense and asked for an acquittal, Het Parool reports.
In April 2021, the woman bought an iPhone 12 Pro Max via Marktplaats. She went to a house in the Van der Pekbuurt in Amsterdam-Noord, where she paid 1,100 euros and received a device in a sealed package. At home, she found out it was a fake phone. She then took her brother and others back to the house to get her money back.
The man said he sold the device on behalf of some “guys” who had already collected the money. He said the guys might be sitting in a car around the corner. Around the corner were the Amsterdam taxi driver and a friend, playing games in his taxi.
The woman and her companions approached the taxi and asked the two men inside whether they knew “Jakob.” When they said no, the situation escalated. The woman’s group kicked the car, made threats, and assaulted the two men. The taxi driver said he thought he saw a firearm being drawn. He called emergency number 112 multiple times.
The taxi driver tried to escape his assailants and ran over the woman. She broke her pelvis. The OM charged the taxi driver with attempted manslaughter. But investigation showed that the taxi driver had nothing to do with the iPhone deal that went bad. Given that the other group attacked first and behaved very aggressively, the OM concluded that the taxi driver acted in self-defense.
The Amsterdam court agreed. According to the court, evidence shows an “aggressive atmosphere of violence and threats” against the taxi driver and his friend. The court assumes the driver acted “in a blind panic” when he stepped on the accelerator to get away. The court acquitted the man of all charges.
