Taxi passenger told Gardai to ‘f**k off’ after she refused to pay €20 fare
A TAXI PASSENGER who told Gardai to “f**k off” after she refused to pay a taxi fare of €20, got herself arrested, Blanchardstown District Court has heard.
Amanda Scott, aged 59, with an address at The Hawthorns, Newbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to public intoxication, breaching the peace, refusing to pay a taxi-fare of €20.20 and failing to give her name and address to a garda at Main Street, Lucan, on December 9, 2018.
Sergeant Geraldine McManigan told the court that at 2.05am on the above date, a taxi pulled up on Main Street in Lucan and the driver told the gardai that he had a passenger who was refusing to pay her fare and did not know where she wanted to go.
Sgt McManigan said Scott told the gardai to f**k off and was very drunk. She said Scott continued to be abusive to the gardai after she was arrested.
Sgt McManigan said Scott had no previous convictions.
Scott’s solicitor, Richard Young, said his client was deeply remorseful for the incident.
He said Scott had been let go from her job and had gone out with friends and had too much to drink.
Mr Young said it could have been due to stress and tiredness.
He said Scott had written a letter to the court expressing her acute embarrassment “and wasting the garda’s time”.
Judge McHugh said: “What about the impecunious situation with the taxi-driver?”
He said he regarded the case as “a glitch” and would strike it out if the fare was paid. The €20.20 was later paid into court and the case was struck out.
