Taxi Driver Online

Fined £93 for failing to pay £8 taxi fare

A MAN has been ordered to pay £93 in fines, compensation and legal costs after making a taxi driver take him to four addresses and failing to pay the £8 fare.

Christopher Barclay, 21, was picked up by a taxi cab outside Hartlepool Railway Station at 2am, town justices heard. He told the driver although he didn't have any money he would pay him once he got to Carr Street.

But when he arrived there there was no response from his girlfriend so he asked the driver to take him to four other addresses.

Paula Sanderson, prosecuting at Hartlepool Magistrates Court, said Barclay ''told the taxi driver he didn't have any money but when he attended the address he would give him the money from his girlfriend.

"He was taken to the address but there was no response. They drove to four other addresses and when he was allowed into an address in Furness Street, he went inside and didn't return." The court heard that the taxi driver waited for 30 minutes before banging on the front door of the house.

Ms Sanderson added: "Ultimately he left and contacted the police. In interview, the defendant said he'd had an argument with his girlfriend so he took some valium and also went out drinking. "He couldn't even remember getting into the taxi. "The taxi fare totalled £8 and the driver's loss of earnings for waiting was in the region of £20."

Barclay, of Furness Street, Hartlepool, admitted making off without payment on May 5. John Relton, mitigating, said: "What's been said is news to Mr Barclay because of the state he was in, but he must have satisfied the driver that he was a genuine individual who intended to make payment."

Janet Henderson, chairman of the bench, fined Barclay £25 and made him pay £28 compensation, along with £25 costs and a £15 surcharge to go towards Victim Support.

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IDFIMH

The Court Judgement is fantastic as it can now be used as Case Law but why did the driver take the passenger in the first place?

The fine should have been a lot higher.A person caught not buying a local metro/rail ticket here gets a much heavier fine than that and it basically amounts to the same thing.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07K29Fc15U

Skippy 71, sorry mate it ain't caselaw it is jus a Guilty plea at court.

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oldbloke

Skippy 71, sorry mate it ain't caselaw it is jus a Guilty plea at court.

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oldbloke

I think the fact that the chap pleaded guilty is a good pointer to the way even defence folk see the situation.

If he could have got away with pleading not guilty, then I suspect he would have.

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IDFIMH