Kirkby taxi fare dodger is fined

Daniel Carling 22 admitted making off without paying twice in July last year when he appeared before Mansfield Magistrates on Wednesday.

The court heard Carling of Felley Avenue failed to pay a fare of £15.60 on 17th July at Skegby Road, Kirkby.

The taxi driver said Carling had been the last of three people in the cab which was picked up from KFC. He asked the driver to wait while he visited a friend’s house, but he never returned to the cab.

On 26th July Carling had asked another driver if he could “drop something off at a mates” and again never returned to pay the £14.40 fare.

Carling admitted jumping the first taxi and said the second offence “sounded like him”.

He claimed he had been drunk at the time of the offences and said it had been pure stupidity.

Carling told the court he had moved away from the area to work and forgot all about dodging the fares but had recently returned to “sort it all out”.

He was fined £250 with £85 costs and £25 victim surcharge.

Carling was also ordered to pay the taxi fares.