James Greenup: Former taxi driver found guilty of slashing passenger’s neck with machete after four day trial

A former taxi driver accused of slashing a passenger’s neck with a machete has been found guilty after a four-day trial. James Michael Greenup stood trial in the Geraldton District Court this week, charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Charlie Collard in the early hours of March 21, 2021, at Beresford. A jury took just under three hours to find him guilty. The victim and his family look relieved in the public gallery as the verdict was handed down, while Greenup made a racist remark directed at them before being led away into custody. Greenup made a formal admission at the beginning of the trial, claiming the machete accidentally came in contact with Mr Collard’s neck. An emotional Mr Collard took to the witness stand on day one, telling the jury he was left lying on the road in a pool of blood after the attack. State prosecutor Gary Huggins told the court on Monday Greenup picked Mr Collard up about 1.40am after a night out at the Freemasons Hotel. The court heard Mr Collard shared the ride with two other passengers, a couple heading to the Broadwater Mariner Resort, and he planned to continue the trip to his home in Glenfield. After dropping the couple off, Greenup and Mr Collard got into a disagreement and he was told to leave the taxi, the court heard. Mr Collard tried to convince the driver to take him home. It’s then the prosecution claimed that Greenup became heated and stated, “get the f... out of the cab you c... or I’ll make you p...”. It’s further alleged Greenup said “meet my friend Mr Machete” before striking Mr Collard in the left side of his neck with the 60cm weapon, piercing his jugular vein. Greenup then reversed, and Mr Collard was dragged along the ground underneath the car, the prosecution claimed. Police body-cam footage shown to the court captured Greenup sitting in his taxi outside his bosses home at 5am on March 21. When Greenup was told by police he was a suspect of unlawful wounding he told police he “didn’t do nothing” and “the f...ing legal system is a joke”. Greenup told detectives he had gone to a car wash because it was company policy after every shift, and he “didn’t see no blood at all”. He was also captured on police body-cam denying carrying a machete in his taxi, stating “I don’t carry weapons in the vehicle”. Witness Abdul Haseeb — who was managing accounts for the taxi company Greenup worked for at the time of the alleged stabbing — said “yes, usually we ask drivers to wash their car after their shift”. Giving evidence in his own defence, Greenup admitted lying to police about carrying the machete when he was questioned in the early hours of the morning, saying he “panicked” and went into “shutdown mode”. In his closing statement, Mr Huggins alleged Greenup deliberately lied to police about the weapon, as it was the same one used on Mr Collard. Greenup told the jury he feared for his life when the argument between himself and Mr Collard escalated. He claimed he grabbed the machete when Mr Collard started punching him, but Mr Collard denied doing that. The 52-year-old man said he had been constantly threatened, attacked and robbed during the eight months he spent working as a taxi driver, and decided to take matters into his own hands by carrying the machete. Outside court, Mr Collard thanked the prosecution, police, hospital staff, friends and family for all their support. Greenup will be sentenced on September 28.