Taxi Driver Online

One for the legal anoraks, but all seems a bit over the top.

Unpaid taxi fare led to Blackburn woman's arrest... three years later

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... ars-later/

AN unpaid taxi fare came back to haunt a woman three and a half years later.

Blackburn magistrates heard Ashleigh Holmes was arrested on a warrant and spent a night in police cells as a result of £40 she hadn't paid in 2015.

The court heard Holmes, then aged 19, and two other girls had got a taxi back from Manchester.

They had paid £20 deposit but when they got back to Blackburn went into a house and refused to come out or answer the door to the driver.

They also refused to let police into the house and they eventually forced entry.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the girls had been given a caution on condition they attended a womens' centre for three sessions and paid £40 compensation to the driver for the money they had not paid and the earnings he lost on the night.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client had attended the centre but had not paid the money.

"She was aware of it and rang the court to clarify the situation and was told they had no record of her owing anything," said Mr Price.

"That all happened more than three years ago and I would like the opportunity to make representations to the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether it is in the public interest to proceed with this matter."

Mr Price said his client was aware the £40 was payable and she was in a position to pay that within 14 days.

Holmes, 22, of Hillside Walk, Blackburn, was remanded on bail until January 15 so Mr Price can make representations.

"That all happened more than three years ago and I would like the opportunity to make representations to the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether it is in the public interest to proceed with this matter."

Damn right it is!

police were involved back then so obviously a bit more involved than just none payment

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

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Sometimes the police do their jobs.

She must have been picked up by the police for another reason, but delighted this made the press.

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IDFIMH

Very interesting case this, for obvious reasons, but still nothing to suggest that there was any other matter that led to the police forcing entry over the unpaid fair.

Taxi fare case dropped three and a half years on

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... -years-on/

A WOMAN accused of leaving a taxi without paying the full fare has had her case dropped - nearly four years after the offence was committed.

Blackburn magistrates heard that in May 2015 Ashleigh Holmes had admitted making off without paying the fare and had been dealt with by way of a caution on condition she paid £40 compensation and attended three sessions at a women's centre.

She attended the sessions but the money was never paid and Holmes was eventually arrested on a warrant in December 2018.

Daniel King, defending, said the money had now been deposited with his firm and was available to be paid to the taxi driver who missed out on his fare.

And after the prosecution received confirmation that the money had been handed over the magistrates withdrew the charge.

Mr King said Holmes, 22, of Hillside Walk, Blackburn, and two friends had gone for a night out in Manchester on May 30 2015.

"The taxi fare to Manchester was £28 but the driver who brought them back wanted £60," said Mr King.

"They handed over £28, which was all they had, and went home. The next thing my client knew was the police had forced her front door, arrested her and took her to the police station where she was held for 10 hours before being given a conditional caution."

Mr King said if he had been representing Holmes at the time he would have given careful consideration to whether an offence had actually been committed.

"Whatever the rights and wrongs she lost track of the fine which has eventually come back to haunt her," said Mr King.

Blackburn to Manchester for £28? By the looks of it that would be £1 per mile maximum, possibly a bit less

Even the £60 return doesn't seem that dear after a night out in Manchester.

And it's funny all the money they had was exactly the same as what they claimed they'd paid to get there

Suspect they just had £28 left, so gave that to the driver and claimed that was what it cost to get them there, and hoped he would just roll over and play ball.



Well no doubt Mr King as a defence solicitor would have claimed it was all an honest mistake and thus a civil rather than a criminal matter, but for the reasons above I suspect they were telling porkies, and obviously police at the time thought differently

By the way, I'm assuming the figures in the second article are correct, but in the initial piece it's stated that they handed over £20, not £28.

Which would tally with the £40 compensation if the fare had actually been £60, but who knows?

For whatever reason the lady would have had to had some interactions with the police, maybe a public order incident where the police took no further action, for her to have popped up on their systems for the outstanding matter.

And that's one of the reasons we should always report stuff, even if nothing happens, as that record will always be there.

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IDFIMH

Ah, I see - when Edders initially referred to police involvement 'back then', and your response, I thought you meant that there was some factor other than the unpaid fare that led to police forcing the door originally. I see what you mean now.