Carl Damaian Morris, a FIFO (fly-in fly-out) worker from the Perth suburb of High Wycombe, who viciously attacked a cab driver after a 12-hour drinking session at a wedding was given an eight month jail term, suspended for twelve months, after he admitted the attack in October 2014 on cab driver who picked him up in Joondalup.
Magistrate Edward de Vries was told how Morris had hailed the cab outside the Dusk nightclub at around 3am, after a day of drinking at wedding in Caversham.
After telling the cabbie he wanted to go "far away from here or I'm going to stab these f***ing c***s in the f***ing neck", Morris then said he wanted to go to a strip club in Perth.
The cab driver asked Morris for a $60 pre-payment - and after initially getting out the cab to retrieve his wallet, the diesel mechanic launched at the driver.
Leaping on top of him, the 6ft Morris punched him with repeated lefts and rights, leaving the driver with bruising.
After exiting the cab, Morris then grabbed the driver by the neck through the window, leaving gouge marks.
The whole incident was captured by CCTV cameras on the inside and outside of the cab - which also recorded Morris saying "I will fucking kill you - you tried to rip me off".
After smashing the cab's windscreen with his fist, Morris walked off - but after being followed by the driver, he was arrested by passing police.
In November 2014 Morris pleaded guilty to assault, threats to harm and criminal damage - and was sentenced in Joondalup Magistrate's Court.
Police prosecutors urged an immediate jail term, saying there was no provocation, and the victim had been left in extreme shock and "thought he'd seen his last days and taken his last breaths."
Magistrate De Vries said Morris had committed a "grossly cowardly" act on a taxi driver in a vulnerable position.
"They are doing a job that most people would not want to do, picking up drunk people after midnight who vomit in their cab, use foul language and display all sorts of unruly behaviour," he said.
He sentenced Morris to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and fined him $5000.
"You came within a heartbeat (of prison)," he said.
"In fact when I woke up this morning, that is where you were going - it was only up on reflection I changed my view."