A TAXI driver assaulted by Jack Tweed has told the Guardian he thought he was going to die the night he gave him a lift.

Tweed was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 weeks in prison for threatening to stab Stephen Wilkins of Loughton taxi firm Sadlers, and grabbing him around the neck.

But Harlow Magistrates ‘Court was told that Tweed, 21, from Buckhurst Hill, had become a “changed man” since the incident on May 5 last year.

His lawyer Tania Panagiotopoulou said: “He has had to mature very quickly in the last few months. There’s been a complete change of character. To say he’s a changed man in an understatement. He has endured with dignity and maturity very difficult personal circumstances.”

But Mr Wilkins, 54, believes Tweed is still a danger to the public.

He said: “His sentence is ridiculous. Because of everything which has been going on he’s got a reduced sentence – it’s because of who he is. But I don’t think he’s changed at all. He was out drinking when Jade was dying in hospital. If that was your wife, wouldn’t you want to be holding her hand, sitting by her bedside? When she died he was out drinking again.

“It shows what sort of guy he is.”

Mr Wilkins had picked up Tweed from Club 195 in Epping, where he had been for a night out with friends.

There was a dispute when Mr Wilkins asked Tweed and the three other passengers, two women and a man, for the fare up front.

When they refused he did a u-turn on the Epping New Road and said he was heading back to Club 195.

But Tweed grabbed him round the neck and pulled the hand brake up as the car was travelling at 50mph.

Mr Wilkins said that the incident had been ‘terrifying’.

He added: “He attacked me and nearly killed me. It was terrifying. Whenever people get in the taxi now and start shouting I get scared and think here we go again. It has definitely affected me. I don’t want to be out there anymore, I don’t want to do this as a job, but I have to make money for my family. People shout and get aggressive but I’ve never had anyone like him. When someone pulls the hand brake on at 50mph, you think you’re going to die.”

At court Tweed was told he would be released on licence after six weeks, and was ordered to pay £455 court costs and £200 compensation to Mr Wilkins.

Magistrate Margaret Webb told Tweed that his personal circumstances has been considered when deciding the sentence.

She said: “We have borne in mind the recent change in your personal circumstances and have reflected this in the length of the sentence, which would otherwise have been 18 weeks.”