YOUBERT Hormozi, the Sydney taxi driver bashed to death in the early hours of yesterday morning, was a lonely man suffering severe health problems after a marriage breakdown, neighbours and co- workers said yesterday.

Mr Hormozi, in his 50s and of Iranian descent, picked up the passengers from the taxi rank near Cabramatta Station, once notorious as the centre of heroin trafficking in Australia.

Another taxi driver, Kamil Sifri, said he had found Mr Hormozi on the floor of his unit a year ago after he had suffered a stroke.

YOUBERT Hormozi,theSydney taxi driver bashed to death intheearly hours of yesterday morning, was a lonely man suffering severe health problems after a marriage breakdown, neighbours and co- workers said yesterday.    

Police confirmed they were searching for a woman and at least two men, believed to be of Islander appearance.

Mr Hormozi, in his 50s and of Iranian descent, picked upthepassengers fromthetaxi rank near Cabramatta Station, once notorious asthecentre of heroin trafficking in Australia.      

He was later found lying on the road at Canley Heights in Sydney’s southwest at about 2am. He died on the way to hospital.

His taxi was stolen and later dumped in nearby Bonnyrigg.

Mr Hormozi had only recently returned to work after suffering a stroke.

He had been robbed several times as a taxi driver. Many people described him as a lonely but hard-working man.

Fellow taxi driver Steve Qamar said: “His marriage broke down, he had a couple of robberies, a stroke and finally he was killed. It is not a good trot.”

Another taxi driver, Kamil Sifri, said he had found Mr Hormozi onthefloor of his unit a year ago after he had suffered a stroke.  

“People took advantage because he was disabled,” he said.

His boss, South Western Cabs general manager Elis Kobti, said other drivers were shocked by the death. “He was a lonely man actually, he was living on his own, and he was a very simple man,” he said. “He was robbed at gunpoint a few times and he was still going on working because he had nothing to do but drive cabs.”

A former neighbour, Marko Petrovic, said Mr Hormozi lived a “very miserable life. He had a very rough life, it seemed to me. I felt sorry for him,” he said.

Also published on news.com.au