Two women from Bournemouth have been convicted after a failed attempt to avoid paying for a taxi ride backfired spectacularly when one of them shared a police appeal for information on social media.
The Night Out That Led to Court
Larisa Sumovskaja, 18, and Jasmine Orchard, 21, were on a night out in Bournemouth, Dorset, in January when they took a taxi to the West Howe area of the town. The journey covered a distance of around three miles.
Upon arrival, the pair left the vehicle without paying the £38 fare. When the driver tried to stop them, the women lashed out at him before making off into the night.
The Self-Inflicted Facebook Blunder
Following the incident, Dorset Police issued a public appeal in the hope of identifying the suspects. The appeal included dashcam photographs of the two women.
In an astonishing lack of judgement, Sumovskaja shared the police post on her own Facebook page, writing alongside it: ‘go like it guys xxx’. Several of her friends were quick to point out in the comments that she had effectively identified herself and her friend.
Court Appearance and Previous Offences
Sumovskaja and Orchard appeared side by side in the dock at Poole Magistrates’ Court, where they pleaded guilty to a charge of making off without payment. They were each ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the taxi driver.
The court heard this was the second time the pair had appeared in court together. Just two months after the taxi incident, in March, they assaulted staff at the Camel Bar. They insulted the bar manager about his weight, spat at security staff, and hit them with their handbags.
For that assault, which occurred before the taxi case was resolved, they were convicted and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
The prosecuting lawyer, Tara Olney, described the defendants as friends who ‘operated in tandem’. The magistrates were told the taxi driver has since stopped working nights and lost income due to anxiety stemming from the event.
Mitigation and Outcome
In defence of Sumovskaja, Niall Theobald said his client was an ‘immature young lady’ who suffered from mental health issues. The court heard that Orchard had no previous convictions at the time of the taxi incident and was said to be complying well with the community order from the later assault case.
This case serves as a stark reminder that actions on social media can have very real-world consequences, turning a suspect into their own accuser.
