Drunk teen slept in taxi and refused to pay his cab fareA young man arrested for refusing to pay a taxi fare "had gotten drunk after finding out a family member had cancer".
Anthony Kelly (19) was upset and drank too much on the night, before falling asleep in the cab, which he had no money to pay for.
The taxi fare from the city centre to his home had been €14.
Judge Michael Walsh fined him €150.
Kelly pleaded guilty to public intoxication and failing to pay a taxi fare.
Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at The Steeples on August 17.
A garda sergeant said the taxi driver called gardai at 4.40am and said that he was having problems getting payment from the defendant, who was a passenger in his cab.
When officers spoke to him, the defendant was extremely intoxicated and was refusing to pay the fare.
He was arrested and charged with the offences.
ConvictionsThe court heard he had previous convictions for public order offences.
At the time of the taxi incident, Kelly, with an address at The Steeples, St Laurence's Road, Chapelizod, had found out a relative who he was very close to had been diagnosed with cancer.
She had since died, the court heard.
"He went out drinking in the city centre - unbeknownst to him he had no money for the taxi," his barrister John Griffin said.
Kelly had fallen asleep in the cab.
The accused was unemployed but was willing to pay for the fare if given time, Mr Griffin told Judge Michael Walsh.
Instead, the judge fined Kelly €75 on each charge and set bond in the event of an appeal.
He also granted free legal aid to the defendant following an application by Mr Griffin, who handed a statement of Kelly's financial means in to court.
The charges against the defendant were under the Public Order and Road Traffic Acts.
He did not address the court.
source:
http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/drunk- ... 33556.html
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