Kermit the Frog joker fined $500
A JOKE between mates landed one Cairns man in hot water after he tried to board a flight to Melbourne under the alias: Kermit the Frog.
After Shane Craig Cuthbert was convicted and fined $500 in Cairns Magistrates Court, the 28year-old called the Cairns Post to say: “It’s not easy being green.”
The Cairns Magistrates Court was told that Cuthbert loved the Jim Henson Muppet character and thought it was a good laugh when his friend booked him a Jetstar boarding pass under Kermit Frog.
“I don’t think he was able to put ‘the’ in the name,” Cuthbert told the Cairns Post.
But when he was pulled aside while trying to board at Cairns Airport on June 6 this year and asked for further identification, he fled leaving his ID and bank card.
“I am completely and utterly surprised I managed to get out of the airport,” he said.
He later went to the police station and made full admissions. Yesterday Cuthbert pleaded guilty to using false information to obtain a plane ticket.
The maximum penalty is 12 months jail and $12,600 fine.
Defence lawyer Richard Whitla said his client’s behaviour could be labelled as “exceptional foolishness” with no real malice.
“It was supposed to be a joke,” Mr Whitla said.
Acting Magistrate Scott Luxton agreed there was a “level of stupidity”, but said the offence in general was serious and there were consequences.
“There’s that underlying concern of ensuring that commercial airlines operate in a safe and secure manner,” Mr Luxton said.
“It beggars belief that someone would present a boarding pass in that name.”