Taxi Driver Online

South Wales Echo

March 25, 2008, Tuesday

Drunken taxi passenger is fined

A DRUNK man who was dropped off outside a police station by a taxi driver has been spared jail after magistrates failed to activate his previous suspended prison sentence.

Caerphilly magistrates heard Gavin Lee Morgan was taken to Caerphilly police station by a taxi driver who thought he would not pay his fare.

When police saw Morgan, he was lying on the ground shouting and swearing that he wanted to go home.

But when an officer tried to get him to his feet, Morgan became even more abusive and was arrested.

Morgan, 28, of Hanbury Square, Bargoed, admitted a charge of being drunk and disorderly on the evening of February 27.

The court heard Morgan had been given a suspended prison sentence on January 23 this year.

Magistrates considered activating the suspended sentence but instead fined Morgan pounds 80 and ordered him to pay pounds 45 prosecution costs and a pounds 15 victim surcharge.

Frank Whittle, in mitigation, said Morgan did have money to pay the taxi driver but did not realise where he was when he was woken from a drunken stupor.

He said Morgan had taken steps to address his alcohol problem and was sorry for what he had done.
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