A WOMAN faces a crown court after dodging a taxi fare.
Laura Askham ran into a house and hid to avoid paying the £15 she owed for the journey to Dewsbury.
Kirklees magistrates yesterday sent her case to be dealt with by a judge after she admitted the offence and they heard she had a suspended prison sentence hanging over her.
They heard Askham, who lives at a hostel in Huddersfield, committed the offence with another female.
Caren Sohande, prosecuting, said that the pair hailed a taxi from Bywell Cars to an address in the Dewsbury area.
But when the pair arrived they went into the house without paying the driver.
The driver knocked on the door to try and obtain the money, but when this failed he called police.
Ms Sohande said: “They forced entry into the house and found the defendant and the other in hiding.
“They were arrested and confirmed that they had no funds to pay for the fare when they took the journey. They confirmed that they had intended to avoid payment.”
Magistrates heard that Askham, 24, had only started committing offences within the last year.
Her record included three thefts, the bench was told.
Askham was last before the court in December when she was given a 12 month conditional discharge for shop theft. She was in breach of this when she made off without payment on January 3.
Askham was also subject to a suspended prison sentence made by Leeds Crown Court in November last year.
Marnat Ali, mitigating, said: “The judge made it clear that if she breached the suspended sentence she would be referred back to crown court.”
Magistrates sent the case to Leeds Crown Court for sentence. Askham will appear there on February 11. Unconditional bail was granted.
