TWO men who dodged paying a £5.70 taxi fare were given conditional discharges for 12 months yesterday.

David Shuttleworth, aged 23, of Hillside Avenue, Atherton and Tony Gingell, aged 20, of Warren Close, Atherton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court.

Before the trial started, the prosecution dropped a charge of robbery.

Both men admitted making off without paying on August 23 last year and Gingell also admitted assaulting a police officer.

Shuttleworth had taken his friend Gingell out in Leigh and both had got very drunk.

They decided to get a taxi but were asked for a deposit by the driver.

Deposit

As they approached their homes in Atherton, they demanded their deposit back and ran off without paying.

The taxi driver recognised Gingell and took the police to his house. Gingell became abusive and aggressive and ended up struggling in the street with the police.

Shuttleworth spent a night in the cells and was very sorry about the events of that night.

Judge Reginald Lockett ordered Gingell to pay £50 compensation to the taxi driver and £100 compensation to the police officer and £50 towards court costs.

Shuttleworth was ordered to pay £50 compensation to the taxi driver.