Passenger 'scared cabbie to death'

A meth crazed taxi passenger has been found guilty of murdering his petrified driver by scaring him to death during an horrific final fare in Mandurah.

Lindsay Ferguson, 67, died of a heart attack after his taxi collided with a truck on Rouse Road in April 2013.

Despite Mr Ferguson having no serious injuries, and his cause of death later being confirmed as a cardiac arrest brought about by an undiagnosed heart problem, Grant Lindon Collard was accused with murdering him.

And late today, a jury found Collard had been guilty of murder, and he now faces a life jail term when he is sentenced later this year.

Prosecutor Linda Petrusa told a jury at WA Supreme Court how Mr Collard had jumped into Mr Ferguson's taxi with three acquaintances, having previously been to a bank to collect his pension money.

Witnesses had already seen Mr Collard swearing and spitting at strangers on the street, and when he got inside the cab, his behaviour escalated out of control.

During a terrifying 30 minute journey, Mr Collard was said to have produced a knife and brandished it at the driver, while stabbing the seat, the dashboard and the gear stick.

He was also said to have injected drugs while in the cab, spat and flicked a cigarette at Mr Ferguson, smashed his radio, ripped a cup holder off the centre console - and then prevented him from leaving when he tried to escape.

The jury was told that Mr Collard's acquaintances were so scared by his behaviour they ran away from the cab themselves, and called police to help the driver.