A Dungannon woman who pulled a taxi driver’s hair and made off without paying has been handed a four month prison sentence.
Margaret Melissa Stokes, 31, of Sycamore Green, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday via videolink from Hydebank.
She was charged with common assault and making off without paying.
The court heard that on May 28, 2023, police received a report from a taxi driver about an incident that occurred when she picked up a fare in Banbridge.
She had taken Stokes from Banbridge to Nationwide in Portadown, where Stokes asked to get out to withdraw cash from the ATM.
The victim offered to take payment using an onboard card reader, at which point Stokes became aggressive and pulled the victim’s hair, before making off without paying for the journey.
Police viewed CCTV and identified Stokes as the defendant. She was arrested and interviewed, denying all allegations against her.
Police systems showed that Stokes had been arrested on May 27 on another matter, and had been released from Banbridge custody on May 28.
Checks also showed that a call was made to the taxi firm from a number linked to Stokes.
Speaking on Stokes’ behalf, a defence lawyer told the court that his client had experienced a “traumatic adulthood” and that during the course of the incident, “the taxi driver locked the doors, which she found triggering, and that precipitated the behaviour that followed”.
He added that she first appeared in court in March 2023 and since that time, she has amassed 18 offences on her record.
The defence concluded that Stokes, who is a sentenced prisoner until February 2, 2025, had been given various opportunities by the courts but had now “run out of road”, adding that she has “expressed remorse and shame for her behaviour”.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan commented: “You have accumulated, in very recent times, a significant record for dishonesty and other offences.”
He added that the court was mindful of the position of her children, and didn’t want to extend her prison time beyond February.
Judge Ranaghan imposed a total sentence of four months, alongside the £25 offender levy.
