FEMALE FELONS
WOMAN WHO RACIALLY ABUSED SWINDON CABBIE AFTER DRUNKEN NIGHT OUT TO PAY COMPENSATION
A woman racially abused a PHV driver after a drunken night out. Wiltshire999s reports that at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 30 March, Gemma Cozens pleaded guilty to racially-aggravated harassment, alarm or distress and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour. A private hire driver had been tasked with collecting the defendant and her sister from Purton, near Swindon, and taking them to an address in another town on 19 September last year. Despite the fare being pre-arranged when the booking was made earlier, the 32-year-old disputed the price. Attempts were made to contact the firm’s booking office, but they were left on hold. Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, said the driver was forced to call the police after he asked the pair to leave his vehicle if they were unhappy with the cost of the journey. Cozens and her sister refused to get out of the vehicle, becoming “obnoxious” and accusing the Turkish
driver of wasting police time. “They were asked to leave multiple times, but they either refused or ignored him”, Mr Ballinger added. Concerned the incident was escalating, the driver started recording the abuse on his mobile phone. Cozens called him a “disgusting human being” before telling him he “shouldn’t be allowed to work in our country”. The victim, in a statement, said he decided he didn’t want to work for the rest of the night because the incident had caused him distress and he was struggling to focus on driving. “I couldn’t get rid of how I was feeling”, he said. “The whole situation was uncalled for.” Continuing, he added: “It’s not my fault I wasn’t born in the UK. I don’t want to be treated differently just because I’m from Turkey.”
Gordon Hotson, defending, said his client, from Swindon, had been out drinking for the first time since the Covid pandemic started. He told the court that mother-of-one Cozens, was “shocked” by the fare, and questioned it before setting off. During the dispute, the driver accepted he had threatened to hit them if they did not leave the vehicle. “Unfortunately, matters became strained and fractious and it’s fair to say Miss Cozens accepts using the phrase stated. She did not mean to cause distress”, he said. Adding: “In fact, Miss Cozens’ partner is mixed race. “This incident was wholly out of character for her and one that she deeply regrets.” The chief magistrate said that he can- not excuse her behaviour that evening. He said: “Being a taxi driver is not a fun job, it’s not an easy job and abuse is not something that should be accepted as part of the job.” Cozens was told to pay compensation of £150 to the victim.
FINE FOR WOMAN WHO RACIALLY ABUSED PETERBOROUGH CABBIE IN FRONT OF HER CHILDREN
A woman from Peterborough shouted racist abuse at a taxi driver, telling him to “go back to Pakistan”. Peterborough Matters reports that Hayleigh Elstone, 27, was picked up in a taxi from her home in Walton, along with her two young children and boyfriend on October 31 last year. The driver asked Elstone to dispose of a can of drink as he did not allow food or drink to be consumed in his car. Elstone got rid of the can and they began their journey when she com- mented about having “had enough attitude from the driver this morning”. The driver stopped the taxi and drove
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back to Elstone’s home and asked the family to get out due to her attitude and behaviour. Elstone called the taxi firm to complain and order another taxi but refused to get out the car, causing the pair to argue, which they both filmed on their phones. At one point, the footage captured Elstone saying, “people like you who come to this country and then act rude to people like this, why don’t you go back to Pakistan”. A report was made to police and Elstone was interviewed. She admitted making the comments but denied
they were racist. However, she admitted causing harass- ment, alarm or distress, which was racially aggravated, at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday 1 April, and was fined £300. PC Ellis Howe, from Peterborough’s north Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We have no tolerance of this kind of behaviour within our communities and where there are viable lines of enquiry we will always investigate and take action. “If anyone is subjected to a hate crime, or witnesses one, I would urge them to make a report to us.”
MAY 2022
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