A taxi driver took advantage of a drunk passenger by stealing his mobile phone and using it to buy a wave of expensive items.
The Liverpool Echo reports that Edward Marshman preyed on his customer who was on his way home from a gig at O2 Academy Liverpool, taking two £50 payments for the ride before leaving with his iPhone to go on a £1,500 shopping spree.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, April 16, how Andrew Gibson attended a concert on December 1, 2022. He was described as being "very intoxicated" and soon left to go to the bathroom when the "next thing he was aware of" was being driven home by Marshman in his taxi, .
Sarah Gruffyd, prosecuting, described how Gibson paid his £50 fare through Apple Pay after getting to his home in St Helens. However, Marshman, from Walton, "told him that the transaction had not gone through and asked him to pass him his phone".
After Gibson handed it over, Marshman "shouted at him to get out of his taxi" and drove off. The victim awoke the next morning, realising what had happened to him.
Meanwhile, the thief used the phone to make 13 separate fraudulent transactions, equating to £1,568. Among the purchases was a second £50 fee for the journey, a purchase from Tesco, two Polaroid TVs, a pair of Adidas trainers, a Ninja blender, a pair of headphones, alcohol, and a meal from McDonald's.
However, the taxi fair was paid into an account that was under Marshman's name and the 49-year-old was caught on CCTV purchasing the goods.
Police officers attended his home on February 10 last year, where they discovered the televisions, trainers, and blenders alongside two bags of cannabis and a quantity of cocaine.
During an interview, he provided a prepared statement which claimed the TVs were "not linked to the offence" and said the white powder was "not Class A drugs".
Marshman was also due to be sentenced for an incident on February 16 this year after he was stopped by police patrols while cycling on Hazelhurst Road in Walton where he was found in possession of a further amount of cocaine inside a man bag.
Marshman has a total of 15 previous convictions for 33 offences, including for drink and drug driving.
Tom Watson, defending, told the court: "This is a man with many problems and many difficulties, most of which relate to his rather troubled mental health."
Marshman admitted to fraud, theft, possession of cannabis, and two counts of possession of cocaine.
Jailing him for 58 weeks, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "Whilst you were working as a taxi driver, you collected a fare who was clearly very much under the influence of alcohol and you quite dishonestly took advantage of his vulnerable condition and abused the position of responsibility you occupied.
"This was a despicable series of offences.
"I accept that you have issues, but you have shown a complete lack of interest in or willingness to work with the probation services to address them."
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