She seems nice
Maidstone clubber punched taxi driver after refusing to pay for ride home after night outhttps://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/ ... -8-324878/A drunken clubber punched a taxi driver eight times in the face after she refused to pay for her £8 ride home.
Image: Kent OnlineOlga Jukliajevskaja, who is originally from Russia, had been on a night out in Maidstone when she jumped into Sakeen Taj’s cab and asked him to drive her home.
But when the 41-year-old, who was said to be “aggressive from the off”, got out of the taxi after the short ride, she refused to pay the £8 fare.
When Mr Taj got out of his vehicle to ask for payment, Jukliajevskaja, punched him at least eight times in the face.
The frightened cabbie called the police and Jukliajevskaja, of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, was arrested.
She was charged with common assault as well as criminal damage after expelling mucus from her nose onto the floor of the holding room.
Jukliajevskaja initially denied the allegations, but on the day of her trial earlier this year, she changed her plea to guilty on both counts.
When it came time for her sentencing hearing on May 15, she failed to show up at court, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
She was apprehended on May 19 and appeared before the bench at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court the next day via video link from Maidstone Police Station.
She was further charged with failing to surrender to custody, but this was withdrawn after Jukliajevskaja told the bench she had never received a letter telling her when her sentencing hearing was going to be held, despite the court clerk insisting one had been sent.
Jukliajevskaja then ranted: “I’ve been more than 24 hours [at this police station], and this is the state of this country.”
Prosecutor Lucie Fish then outlined the details of the two offences Jukliajevskaja was to be sentenced for.
She said: “The victim is a taxi driver, Sakeen Taj, who said she was aggressive from the off and that he could smell alcohol on her, but it was a short drop-off, so he decided to take her.
“On arrival, she refused to pay and got out of the taxi. He then got out and asked for payment, but she struck him in the face, he estimates eight punches.
“He suffered a cut nose and cheek, and he then tried to get back in his vehicle and away from the defendant, but she tried to stop him from closing the door and continued to attack him.
“He then pushed her away and managed to lock himself in the car and he dialled 999.”
Magistrates were then told Jukliajevskaja, who has previous convictions, was arrested and taken to Maidstone Police Station.
The prosecutor added: “She then expelled mucus from her nose onto the cell floor, and it had to be deep cleaned.
“In her interview, she admitted the assault, but alleged he asked her for sex. She said she hit him out of frustration.”
Mr Taj had written a victim impact statement in which he said he now got worried about picking up customers, and what might happen to him.
He said he found the thought of working horrible each time he logged on for his shift, and that the whole episode had made him feel differently about working as a cabbie.
At this point, Jukliajevskaja, blurted out: “That’s bull**** from the taxi driver - he pushed my shoulder and I had been clubbing and I wanted to get home safe and he followed me to my door.
“I pushed him in the car and he pulled my bag.”
A probation officer told the court alcohol seemed to be a recurring theme of the offences she’d previously committed as well as these ones.
Jukliajevskaja, who earns about £1,500 a month, spoke out again at this point by saying: “I love a drink in a club, is that OK? My ex-husband was big on abuse, so yes, I drink.”
The probation officer also said Jukliajevskaja had been previously offered an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag but was not willing to wear one.
Magistrates placed Jukliajevskaja on a 12-month community order, which will see her complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay Mr Taj £100, plus £400 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
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