Taxi driver slashed over £20 cab fare thought he was going to die - BBC News
Two men are jailed for the "vicious and sustained" attack on Sajid Javed, during which his ear was sliced in two.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Javed says the attack has ruined his life

A Glasgow taxi driver has told how he thought he was going to die when two men attacked him over a £20 cab fare.

Sajid Javed was stabbed by Gordon McPherson, 21, and repeatedly punched by Dylan Sullivan, 20, near his home in Govan last August.

The 36-year-old's ear was sliced in two in the attack, which came after he requested his fare upfront in the early hours of the morning.

The pair have now been jailed for the "vicious and sustained" attack.

Sheriff Ian Fleming sentenced McPherson to 32 months in prison and jailed Sullivan for 10 months.

Mr Javed, who has been left with hearing problems and damaged eyesight, told BBC Scotland his life had been left in tatters.

Mr Javed needed 43 stitches for his injuries after the attack

The father-of-three, is still visibly shaken when he recalls what happened.

"The two men asked to go to Scotstoun then return," he said.

"I didn't know the procedure but one of my friends told me on the phone I needed to get money upfront.

"I told him he could give me £20. He said that was a bit high, that the fare should be £8. The other guy punched on my window.

"I said if they had a problem with the fare they should call another taxi. As I drove away they smashed my window."

When Mr Javed got out of his car to see what had happened, he was attacked.

"I saw they had a knife. I tried to run to my house but they both came to me.

"I thought it would be better to get in the car and drive, so I pushed them and got into my car. When I got home I saw my wife so I got out the car but then I fell down, everything was black.

"I thought I was gone. I was thinking I was going to die."

The cut which sliced his ear in two is now healed but the damage still causes pain for Mr Javed

Mr Javed's ear was sliced in two and he was cut on his back and hands. He has been left with hearing problems in his left ear, damaged eyesight and pain. He says he needs sleeping aids and depression medication.

He said: "Everything has changed. I won't go out alone. I think if they realised that they wouldn't have done it.

"I have depression and nightmares and I wake up."

His wife, Shazia Shehzadi, 36, said had also been severely affected by the attack.

She said: "It has been three or four months but it has been very distressing for us, especially my husband.

"All family members are on sleeping medication and antidepressants and referred for counselling, having bad dreams. Our parents are very upset.

"Whenever I open my door I see it all in front of my eyes. I fear people will follow me, stab me. The kids have these dreams.

"We can't forget this for the whole of our lives. They just did that and we will suffer for the whole of our lives. That's unacceptable."

Shazia Shehzadi says she forgives the men who caused so much harm to her family but she will never forget what happened

However, she said she had forgiven McPherson and Sullivan for the attack.

"They should realise what they did," she said. "There are families and generations who suffer this and they can't forget this for the whole of their lives. They admitted their guilt but they don't get strict punishments.

"I forgive them as a human being, as a Muslim, as a wife - but they should learn a lesson from this about how we will come out of the situation."

Mr Javed fears he will never be able to return to his full-time taxi driving job but he has begun to work on some school runs.

He is now campaigning for better safety and stricter laws to protect those working in the taxi trade and on other public transport.