New York Man Who Stabbed Cab Driver Gets Nearly 10 Years

A New York man who stabbed a cab driver three years ago received 9 1/2 years in prison.

Michael Enright yelled racial slurs and stabbed the cab driver after he admitted he was Muslim. Ahmed H. Sharif suffered stab and slash wounds to his throat, face, arms, and hands.

According to police, Enright was drunk that night and that there was an empty bottle of scotch in his backpack.

Prosecutors originally recommended 18 years in prison for Enright.

“This was a horrendous crime against an innocent New Yorker. The victim, a native of Bangladesh and the father of four children, has been working and living in our diverse city for nearly three decades. There is no place for bigotry in New York City,” District Attorney Cyrus Vance said.

“It was the end of being a taxi driver in my life,” Sharif said. “And a lot of things happened that made my life very hard, all because of this.”

Enright pleaded guilty two weeks ago to attempted murder and assault, both as hate crimes.

In addition to serving time in prison, the 24-year-old will have to serve five years of post-release supervision.

According to his defense attorney, Lawrence M. Fisher, Enright has had a history of alcoholism since childhood. He also was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after he witnessed an attack in Afghanistan where he was working on a film.

The former college film student was very remorseful at his sentencing. “I failed in every aspect of my life during the active days of my alcoholism,” he said. “Most importantly, on Aug. 24, 2010, the date of my last drink, I failed as a human being when I attacked an innocent man in an alcoholic blackout and nearly took his life.”

Do you think the New York man who stabbed the cab driver received a fair sentence?

[Image via Shuttershock]