The Isle of Wight County Press reported that Leon Gladdis, 29, of Nelson Road, Newport, was jailed for 20 months at Isle of Wight Crown Court on Friday 6 November 2026 after he stole a taxi and crashed it head-on into another vehicle in Devon, injuring a woman. He was banned from driving for 54 months and must pass an extended driving test before he can hold a licence again. He admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, taking a vehicle without consent, driving without due care and attention, and driving without insurance. Those pleas were changed to guilty on the day a trial was due to begin in August. The admissions also cover a separate incident in Newport.
HMCTS daily cause lists for Isle of Wight Combined Court record the Devon matter as case 50DE0460126, aggravated vehicle taking by the initial taker, with injury caused by an accident. Case 44LN0187026 lists taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, driving whilst disqualified, driving without due care and attention, and using a vehicle on a road without third-party insurance.
The journey from Westward Ho!
On 26 October 2025, taxi driver Matthew Watson picked up Gladdis and another man in Westward Ho! and drove them to an address near Bideford. The other man was not named.
Oliver Rolfe, prosecuting, told the court that the pair had claimed they needed to collect a credit card from inside the property, and that they did not return. When Watson went to the door, both men rushed towards him in a threatening manner. One of them was allegedly wielding a knife. They got into his white Ford Mondeo taxi. Watson heard the doors slam and watched the vehicle speed away, leaving him stranded.
Hours later, a woman driving home from work in a Mitsubishi Colt met the stolen Mondeo on the wrong side of the road. The car was heading directly towards her, and the vehicles collided head-on. She suffered multiple injuries and was unable to work for several weeks. The Mondeo was written off. She was not named.
The driver
In a victim statement, Matthew Watson said: "I feel sick to my stomach. I have been cruelly punished.
"It's cruel how the actions of two people could have such a huge impact on my life."
Newport
The court also heard that on 14 July 2026 Gladdis took a Nissan Qashqai, later found abandoned on Medina Avenue in Newport.
He has 38 previous convictions for 77 offences, including ten for driving whilst disqualified.
Oscar Vincent, defending, asked the court to consider a difficult upbringing, mental health problems and past substance misuse. Gladdis's words, passed on by his barrister, were that he had "had enough of custody".
Judge Ashworth described Gladdis as a danger to other road users and referred to the extent of his criminal record.