Shocking pictures show bloodied face of teen dancer ‘forced to the ground and kicked in head by taxi driver’ in fare row
19-year-old says she has been left shaken by the horrific attack
A DANCE student claims she was left battered and bruised after a cabbie savagely beat her in a row over the fare.
Francesca Donnelly said she was forced to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head after booking a private hire driver after a night out.
The 19-year-old claims her attacker then fled the scene and left her lying in a pool of blood on the ground.
She was helped by a kind passer-by who stopped and alerted the police following the brutal assault in the early hours of Saturday.
The London Studio Centre student had booked the cab from Islington but her phone died so she hopped in another car carrying a group of girls to charge it.
But when the other group were dropped off, Francesca, from Watford, Herts, struggled to re-book her own journey using an app on her mobile.
The driver then apparently turned aggressive about how she would pay for the journey and locked the doors.
Francesca then claims the cabbie eventually let her out before following her and savagely beating her to the ground.
Shocking photos posted on social media show the teen's puffy face covered in blood.
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She told the : "I feel shaken. You always see these things on the news and think how horrible it is but you never think it will ever happen to you. I keep thinking it's my fault because I got in a random car.
“It can happen to you and you're not invincible. It’s made me realise you should always get in a cab with someone else and stay safe.
“I'm very thankful to the man, James, who found me, he was amazing, I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't found me.
"I'm quite a strong person so I'm sure I'll get over it but it will take some time.”
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they attended the scene along with the ambulance service.
A spokesman added: "“A 19-year-old woman was found injured at the location and was taken to a north London hospital with facial injuries,” the spokesman said.
“The woman alleged that she had been assaulted at Southampton Road by the driver of a private hire vehicle.”
Police said no arrests have yet been made and enquiries are ongoing.
Last week, student Luke Philpott told how he was dumped 25 miles in the opposite direction by a cabbie when he couldn't pay the fare.
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