Shocking moment Muslim cabby is viciously attacked by drunk female passenger as singing man films
The driver claims he was attacked by a couple while a bystander filmed the whole thing earlier this month in Derby
THIS is the shocking moment a taxi driver was attacked by a "drunk" woman and her partner while a singing group of bystanders filmed the assault.
Shahiq Iqbal, 50, says he was punched repeatedly and bitten by the pair after they refused to pay a £7 fare and he tried to kick them out.
The trouble started in the early hours of December 1 when the woman allegedly tried to grab the steering wheel while shouting "£80 for my children".
When the driver pulled over in Normanton, Derby, to call the police, he said the woman bit his hand to stop him dialling.
The dad-of-five said a group of "large men" watched him being assaulted and filmed it, rather than helping.
The man behind the camera sings "yo, yo, yo, worldstar" a line from a song by US rapper Childish Gambino, which was possibly also a reference to a website called worldstar where videos of people being knocked out are uploaded.
The dark and often unclear video shows the man knocking on the window of the cab while singing as he captures the moment the woman slaps Mr Iqbal in the face as he tries to get out.
The witness shouts: "Oooh, bredrin. Bredrin" and carries on singing as the shaken driver emerges and appeals for calm.
His attacker staggers out of the car, pushes him and shouts: "F*** off, then. F*** off."
The singer then films himself smiling at the camera and says: "You know how it is in Normanton. You know how it is."
Mr Iqbal tries to fend off the woman, and her boyfriend - previously a spectator - rushes towards the pair shouting: "Oi, who the f*** do you think you're touching? Who the f*** do you think you're touching?"
He punches Mr Iqbal in the jaw and his partner joins in the attack before the man lands a second blow and the crowd goes quiet.
One of the spectators urges his friend to stop filming and says: "I feel sorry for the guy" but does nothing to help.
Speaking out today, the married taxi driver of ten years said he was disgusted that the crowd did not intervene and "laughed" as he was being beaten.
Mr Iqbal, from Rose Hill, Derby, said: "That was the first time I was ever attacked on the job. It's made me frightened about who might be sitting behind me in my cab.
"It seemed like the guy filming it was really enjoying it. He was singing and he even shows his face in the video, I couldn't believe it. It makes me feel very bad that this was entertainment.
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"It was a horrific journey. On the way, the woman put her feet on the dashboard. I politely asked if she could put them down.
"She didn't like that and told me they didn't have any money. I took her to a cash point and asked her to get some out but she said it didn't work.
"I carried on driving but she suddenly lunged across me and tried to take the steering wheel.
"She said she wanted to drive and demanded money from me. She shouted: 'Where's my money? Give me £80 for my children.'"
Mr Iqbal, a freelance driver for National Cars, said he might quit his job because his family are terrified of him being attacked again.
He added: "The guy who hit me was very strong and the punches really rocked me.
"Luckily, I was just badly bruised but if they'd had a knife or a weapon that might have been it for me.
"It was crazy. I said just pay me and go but she lunged at me. She grabbed my phone and started to bite. Then she went for me again and bit my arm.
"I tried to stop her but the man with her started to get angry and hit me with two brutal punches.
"Afterwards, I fell to the floor in agony. The couple ran away before the police got there.
"I think it's a total disgrace. I can't understand why anyone would do this. I work very hard and do not deserve these things to happen.
"I'm surprised nobody's been charged yet. The police said they can't see the guy's face clearly on the video. I don't think that's good enough."
Derbyshire Constabulary revealed it has arrested and bailed a woman on suspicion of attempted robbery.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "At 1.15am on December 1, a taxi driver picked up a woman and a man in the city centre area of Derby.
"When they arrived at the destination in Bailey Street, the woman passenger became aggressive and allegedly assaulted the driver.
"A 23-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and has been released on police bail pending further investigations."
Anyone with information is urged to contact DC Sarah Parkin on 101.
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