Need for drug led to addict's taxi fare conAN Ilminster woman who conned taxi drivers when she did a runner without paying for her fare has been sentenced to a community order by the courts.
On each occasion Zoe Claire Facey requested a taxi ride to Chard and back and made the excuse she had to visit a cashpoint on her return as she did not have enough money.
However every time she never returned to the vehicle and could not be located, Somerset Magistrates were told.
Facey, 31, of West Street, pleaded guilty to three counts of making off without payment for taxi fares in January and February ranging from £43 to £14.30. She also asked for three other similar offences to be taken into consideration.
Prosecutor Emma Chetland said that on January 27, Facey took a taxi with Cool Cabs from Ilminster to Chard and back to Ilminster.
"When she got back she asked to go into Tesco to withdraw some cash to pay the fare and then got out but didn't return," she said.
"The taxi driver had the defendant's first name and her mobile telephone number as she had originally requested the taxi via a text message."
The defendant was arrested by the police on February 12 and when interviewed admitted the offence. Two further offences were committed on February 10 and 18 where she left to get some money but never returned.
Defending solicitor Sam Morton said that a very longstanding heroin addiction was at the heart of Facey's offending and she had been desperate to get to Chard to visit her drug dealer.
"She says that if she does not get her heroin then she feels as if she is going to die and her desperation for the drug came ahead of her obligation towards the taxi driver," he said.
"She has been using drugs since the age of 17 and is obtaining methadone through the black market but has now been in touch with Turning Point and is waiting for a prescription from them."
Magistrates sentenced Facey to a community order with a nine-month supervision requirement, a £60 victim surcharge and £20 towards costs. She was also ordered to pay compensation to the various taxi firms for their lost fares.
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