A woman tourist was fined $1,000 after she admitted dodging a hotel bill and cab fare.

Molisa Muyembe checked out of the Rosemont Hotel in Hamilton on November 2 — but the bank card used for the reservation was declined, Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

She told staff that she could not pay the $324 bill, but that a friend had a credit card.

Muyembe, 24, from Britain, left the hotel in a cab but went straight to the airport, where she told the driver she would have to use an ATM to pay the $42 fare.

Instead, she went into the airport and was waiting to board a plane when police arrested her.

Defence lawyer Victoria Greening said Muyembe had been invited to Bermuda by a friend from university for what she was told was an “all-expenses-paid” three-day trip.

But on arrival she found out they were only to spend a single night on the island.

The pair fell out and the friend left her cashless with the hotel room booked in her name.

Ms Greening said Muyembe took the taxi to the airport in “desperation” to catch her flight.

She added that the hotel had been paid and Muyembe intended to pay the taxi driver.

Muyembe apologised to the court and promised it would never happen again.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo told Muyembe: “When you lay down with fleas, you will get up with them too. This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated and must be discouraged.”

Mr Tokunbo fined Muyembe $500 for each offence and also ordered she pay the taxi fare.