A taxi driver in East Kilbride was violently attacked by his passenger after refusing to let him drink beer in the cab.
Passenger, Brendan Cadden, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court after admitting the assault, which took place in April 2018.
Cadden, 34, of Motherwell, assaulted cabbie Mohammed Riaz in Churchill Avenue, East Kilbride after the driver refused to allow him to open the can of beer.
Mr Riaz had picked up three men, including Cadden, and when enroute to their destination, Cadden asked if it was ok to open a can of beer, but Riaz said no.
He was then asked if he could pull the vehicle over so the beer could be consumed by the side of the road, but again Riaz refused, citing that he wanted to complete the trip so he could continue earning.
The altercation turned heated, which is when the driver said he was going to the police station.
It was at this moment that the cab driver was punched repeatedly by Cadden.
Cadden had an extensive criminal record, but Kevin McCarron, leading his defence, stressed a custodial sentence would do more harm than good.
Sheriff Douglas Brown placed Cadden under supervision for nine months and ordered him to do 180 hours of unpaid community work.
Cadden was also ordered to pay Mr Riaz £400 compensation.
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