Cabbie stranded as banned driver takes his taxi

Woman sentenced to jail but released pending appeal

A YOUNG woman conned a kind-hearted cabbie into fetching her a drink . . . then drove off in his taxi.

But although the driver was stranded, his vehicle had a tracking device – and Madeleine Elizabeth Duce was caught within the hour.

On Thursday, April 7, Newbury magistrates jailed the 29-year-old, of Martingale Chase, Newbury, after hearing she was already banned from driving following a series of drink-drive convictions.

But, in a last-minute twist, Ms Duce walked free from the dock, despite the prison sentence.

Helen Waite, prosecuting, said the taxi driver, identified only as Mr Ahmed, had received a call from Ms Duce in Kiln Lane, Newbury, and agreed to take her home.

She added: “On the way she asked him to stop at a petrol station where she asked him to buy her an alcoholic drink, which he refused.

“She then gave him some money and asked him to fetch her a drink of orange and, being a kind-hearted soul, he did her a good turn and went to get it.”

Mr Ahmed turned the engine off but left the keys in the ignition.

Ms Waite said: “You can see what’s coming next, can’t you? He heard a screech of tyres and saw his vehicle speeding from the forecourt and disappearing into the distance.”

Thanks to the tracking device, police caught Ms Duce before any damage was caused, the court heard.

Ms Waite said: “It was clear she had been drinking, but she refused a roadside breath test and wouldn’t engage with the officers even back at Newbury Police Station.

“She has been convicted of drink-driving three times before and was still disqualified from driving at the time of these offences.”

Ms Duce admitted taking a silver Peugeot car without consent, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, all on March 14.

Joanna Benn, defending, admitted her client was an alcoholic, but pleaded with magistrates not to imprison her.

She said Ms Duce’s latest round of offending had been a “moment of madness” and that if she was jailed she would lose her home.

In addition, said Ms Benn, her client had a job interview the following day and would lose that opportunity for work if she was behind bars.

A probation officer said Ms Duce had been drinking to excess “since she was a young girl” and added: “She remembers police cars blocking her in but doesn’t remember anything else about the incident.

“It’s very likely she will continue to drink without help.”

After retiring to confer with colleagues, presiding magistrate Brenda Harding told Ms Duce: “This is the fourth case of driving with excess alcohol you’ve been involved in.

“You took that vehicle which was that man’s livelihood. We consider these offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified.”

They told Ms Duce she would go to prison for 12 weeks.

In addition she was banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay an £80 surcharge.

But there was yet more drama to come.

Just as the court was due to finish sitting at 5pm, and before a security van could arrive to take Ms Duce to prison, Ms Benn lodged an appeal against sentence.

Ms Duce was duly released on bail while a date can be set for the appeal hearing at Reading Crown Court.