‘Friend’ of taxi driver stole his £4,500 savingsA taxi driver who started a relationship with a Spanish man he met over the internet, returned home to find that he had stolen £4,500.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how the thief – 23-year-old Javier Agarhiou who now lives near Carlisle – spent three days staying with the cabbie at his home in Whitehaven last May.
In court Agarhiou, now living at Port Carlisle, admitted a single count of theft.
Greg Hoare, prosecuting, described how the two men’s relationship had at first seemed to go well during the visit.
“The defendant said that, for various reasons, he had difficulty going back to the original place where he was staying and asked if he could stay longer,” said Mr Hoare.
The taxi driver agreed and then went to work. While in the house together, the cabbie revealed that he had saved up £4,500 in cash, saying he kept it hidden behind a skirting board in the kitchen.
“When he came back home the defendant had gone – and so had the money,” said Mr Hoare.
The barrister said the victim reported the theft to the police when Agarhiou repeatedly refused to answer his mobile phone.
The defendant then sent his victim text messages, apologising and claiming that he needed the cash to help a friend back in Spain.
Agarhiou was later arrested and police agreed initially to give him a conditional caution after he said he would repay the money he took. That was withdrawn in January when it became evident he had not done that.
The taxi driver told police that he needed the money to buy a new taxi, so the theft had the potential to damage his livelihood.
Marian Weir, for Agarhiou, said the defendant’s former partner had threatened to reveal “certain information” to his family.
“This defendant felt he was in a catch-22 situation,” said Miss Weir.
“And he did something which was entirely out of character. He did return to Spain with that money.”
She said the information, which was passed to Agarhiou’s family, had left him ostracised. “This young man has suffered significantly in the breakdown of his family relationships.
“This is a young man of previous good character and he is frankly terrified at the prospect of an immediate custodial sentence.”
The court heard that the defendant had found a new employer who was prepared to reimburse the full £4,500 that Agarhiou stole last year.
Judge Barbara Forrester imposed a 12-week jail term suspended for 12-months. She also ordered him to do 120 hours unpaid work, and pay an £80 victim surcharge.
source:
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.1200785
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