Man goes on trial for alleged racist assault on taxi firm owner
Categories: Latest News
Tuesday November 29 2016
The Hull Daily Mail reports on the trial of an Armed Forces officer who is alleged to have told a taxi driver he had “killed P***s in Iraq” before assaulting him.
Leon Salter, 26, is on trial at Hull Crown Court charged with criminal damage and racially aggravated grievous bodily harm. Salter admitted causing damage but denied assaulting and racially abusing Muhammad Sajid, owner of Beeline Taxis.
The court heard Salter had walked into Beeline Taxis around 1.50am on 5 July 2015. He had booked a taxi but became “angry” on learning other customers had taken it.
CCTV footage from Beeline Taxis played in court showed Salter “remonstrating with an employee in the office, ripping a handle off the door to the staff area, and pulling a metal grill off the small window between the staff and customer rooms.”
Salter then allegedly got into Mr Sajid’s car after it pulled up, and assaulted him when Mr Sajid refused to take him, having been told he caused the damage to the office.
Mr Sajid said Salter became aggressive, calling him a “f****** w*****” and “a “P**i” before telling him he was in the Armed Forces, and had “killed a lot of P***s before.”
Mr Sajid said Salter showed him tattoos on his arm and said “I’m in the Army, I killed a lot of P***s before.”
Mr Sajid is alleged to have sustained injuries to his eye and suffered a fractured cheekbone in the assault. He claims Salter pushed him causing him to stagger and stumble.
Salter denies causing the injuries saying Mr Sajid was hurt when he “lashed out with his elbow to get away after Mr Sajid grabbed him by his T-shirt from behind.”
Prosecutor Meghan Rees told the court: “He was angry. He caused that damage, as you know, to the inside of that office, and we say he was aggressive towards the complainant and deliberately assaulted him and racially abused him, and that’s what this case is about.”
UPDATE: Leon Salter was acquitted of the charge for racially aggravated grievous bodily harm after Recorder Christopher Smith, ruled there was insufficient evidence to support the allegation.