Mesfun Geremedhin
August 2, 2003
London, England

Killed over a £4 cab fare

February 27, 2004
South London Press

AN ILLEGAL immigrant who killed a fellow cabbie with a knockout punch
after fighting over a customer has been jailed for three years.

Steadman Wallace, 26, levelled the 47-year-old father-of-four outside
a busy supermarket and then drove off with his £4 fare.

Somalian Mesfun Geremedhin cracked his skull on the pavement and died
early the next morning.

The brief but fatal scuffle was caught on CCTV cameras outside the
Netto Super-market in Clapham Common at 4pm on August 2 last year.

Video footage showed Wallace calling over a shopper and negotiating
the price to take her home.

But Mr Geremedhin, who worked for the same cab firm, stormed over and
demanded to know why Wallace was jumping the queue.

He claimed his number was on the board outside the supermarket before
Wallace's and that he was having a very slow day.

Mr Geremedhin then told Wallace: "The next time I see you I am going
to kill you."

Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee told an Old Bailey jury: "The response to
clearly hostile and uncalled-for behaviour by the deceased was an
explosion of temper.

"The deceased had turned away, his back was towards the defendant.

"He was providing no threat whatsoever when the defendant decided to
strike him.

"Wallace then took his trolley and took his fare while the deceased
was on the ground."

A bus driver claimed Wallace aimed a kick at the victim as he lay
unconscious on the ground.

Police arrived at the scene within minutes but the ambulance was
delayed for 30 minutes because it went to Stamford Hill instead of
Clapham Common, the court was told.

By the time the victim arrived in Homerton Hospital, he was already
in a coma from the effects of his broken skull.

He was transferred to the Royal London neurological unit for
treatment but was certified dead at 3.39am on August 3 after
consultation with his family.

Wallace, of Carlisle Gardens, Ilford, east London, pleaded guilty to
manslaughter.

Judge Neil Denison QC told the killer it was a "tragic and needless
death" when he jailed him on Thursday last week.

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