A Dubbo woman who was unable to pay her taxi fare ended up smashing the eftpos machine and digging her nails into the driver's face, a court has heard.
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Mai Esther Mar Mar Khant was picked up by a taxi from the rank outside Coles about 11am June 9 this year when the incident unfolded.
The taxi took the 51-year-old home and requested she pay the $12.30 fare. After multiple declined attempts to pay by card, Mar Mar Khant got out and asked the driver to open the boot to get her things.
The driver refused and told her she needed to pay first when Mar Mar Khant walked back to the passenger door, grabbed the eftpos machine and threw it on the ground.
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The machine cracked and the display stopped working.
The driver walked around to pick up the machine from the ground when Mar Mar Khant grabbed him by the shirt causing a number of his buttons to pop off.
He tried pushing Mar Mar Khant away which caused them both to fall to the ground. While on the ground Mar Mar Khant kicked the driver multiple times in his leg.
The pair managed to stand up when Mar Mar Khant grabbed the man on both sides of his face, digging in her nails and scratching him causing him to bleed.
The driver pushed Mar Mar Khant away and said he was going to call police when she walked into her unit.
Police arrived and spoke to the driver, who pointed to the unit Mar Mar Khant had entered. Officers spoke with her, when she admitted to smashing the eftpos machine and having a physical fight with the driver.
She was arrested with assault, destroy or damage property, and failing to pay for a taxi fare.
After failing to appear in Dubbo Local Court on July 20, she was also charged with failing to appear and convicted in her absence.
Defence lawyer Carmen McKay said her client had moved to Australia in 2005, and lived in Dubbo for eight years.
She explained Mar Mar Khant was on a disability pension for mental health impairments, and had been unmedicated for some time.
The court heard Mar Mar Khant had a "scattered" criminal history with similar matters.
Magistrate Theresa Hamilton accepted Mar Mar Khant's mental health was a contributing factor in the incident, but said the assault including digging nails the taxi driver's face was "quite serious".
Mar Mar Khant was convicted and sentenced to a 15-month community corrections order and fined $75.
Zaarkacha Marlan
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
