Taxi passenger dodged fare then attacked driver causing £500 of damage

A passenger who dodged a taxi fare then assaulted the driver and caused £500 damage to his cab has been jailed for six months.

Kimberley Smith, 25, called the cab to take her shopping and made it wait for 15 minutes outside Tesco while she got her groceries on September 9 this year.

After being dropped back home, her card was declined when she tried to pay the fare.

Smith told the taxi driver she could not transfer money to top up her account because her phone battery was dead.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the taxi driver gave her his bank details so she could transfer the £7 outstanding fare.

Three hours later, the money still hadn’t turned up, so he rang her, and she asked him to return to get paid.

When he did so, there was initially no sign of Smith, so he rang her again.

Prosecutor Amy Clyne said: “This time, the accused walked towards the witness’s vehicle, shouted ‘f*** off’, leaned in through the passenger window, put her middle finger up at him, then lashed out and slapped his left shoulder.”

On being told by the driver that he would call the police, Smith began to punch and kick the side of the cab.

The taxi tried to reverse away from Smith but had to stop because another car came up behind.

Ms Clyne said: “The accused then began to try and mount the bonnet of the taxi and grabbed the wing mirror forcing it to collapse.

“During all this, she continued to shout and swear at the witness.”

Police arrived and arrested Smith, who was still shouting and swearing, struggled with officers, refused to get into a police van, went rigid, and had to be taken to the ground.

She started to spit at police, missed, tried to kick one of the officers, again missed, and was finally brought under control when a spit hood was applied. She was then taken to Falkirk Police Station.

She was unable to be formally cautioned and charged “due to her demeanour”.

Smith, of Grahamston, Falkirk, pleaded guilty to assault, police assault, fare fraud, resisting arrest, and statutory breach of the peace.

Smith, formerly known as Kyle Waugh, appeared for sentence on Thursday by video link from Low Moss prison near Bishopbriggs where she has been held since her arrest.

The court heard Smith had 17 previous convictions for a variety of “broadly analogous” crimes.

Solicitor Simon Hutchison, defending, said: “All her offences are based around her significant, excessive alcohol intake, and that’s caused by difficulties in her previous life.”

Imposing the six-month jail term, Sheriff Alison Michie told Smith: “The taxi driver had come in the course of his employment to drive you and was expecting to be paid for his services, but you have chosen to assault him and do a significant amount of damage to his vehicle.

“Given your personal circumstances, there’s no prospect of him receiving compensation from you.

“In all of the circumstances, I’m satisfied there’s no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.”