COURTENAY, B.C- A man charged with aggravated assault after allegedly biting off a local cab driver’s fingertip is heading to court tomorrow.
According to the Comox Valley RCMP, Peter Valdal has been charged with aggravated assault, after an incident that took place in Courtenay on April 28 in the 400 block of Ryan Road.
The court date comes after a taxi driver lost their middle fingertip in the Valley last month.
According to a news report from the Comox Valley Record, the driver was with Comox Taxi, and was taken to hospital following an altercation with a passenger behind the 7-11 dollar store on Ryan Road.
A manager who spoke with the newspaper indicated that the male driver had picked up the male passenger at the gazebo at Simms Park. The passenger then became aggressive, shortly after the ride began.
After the driver pulled over, the passenger attacked him, with the driver eventually exiting the vehicle. The passenger then left the taxi, attacking the driver outside, with the driver’s finger allegedly ending up in the passenger’s mouth.
The tip of the finger was then bitten off by the passenger, according to the manager.
An off-duty Comox Taxi driver discovered the incident and came to the aid of their co-worker. He then held the suspect until police could arrive.
The newspaper report indicates the finger was bitten off just below the nail.
The Comox Valley RCMP detachment later confirmed in a statement that an assault on a taxi driver occurred and that the passenger was arrested at the scene.
The police statement indicated the driver suffered non life-threatening injuries and received medical attention at a local hospital, and the Record article states the driver has returned to work after filing a workers compensation claim.
Valdal has a lengthy court record, with the most recent set of charges prior to the latest incident stemming from an assault in 2008.
