Siblings fined over abuse and assault on Muslim taxi driver

Categories: Latest News
Thursday June 16 2016
The Oxford Mail reports on the trial of a brother and sister accused of assaulting and racially abusing a Muslim taxi driver in Oxford earlier this year.
Damian Longhurst, 24, and his sister, Deryn Longhurst, 21, appeared before Oxford Magistrates court this week.
The court heard that the siblings had called a cab to collect them from outside The One Bar on Friday, February 5. Faisal Munir, the driver, collected the pair when they started arguing in the back of the taxi.
The court heard that the argument got heated and Mr Munir, who slowed down the taxi and tried to intervene to restrain the “squabble”, was assaulted by Mr Longhurst.
Prosecutor Clare Barclay told the court “Damian Longhurst grabbed hold of [Mr Munir’s] collar and was pushing him.”
Longhurst then got out of the cab and walked off in the direction of Botley Road while Mr Munir called the police.
Munir locked the cab with Deryn Longhurst inside, but she tried to jump into the front seat and drive it off. When Mr Munir unlocked the vehicle to let her out, she racially abused him and “punched him to the face, causing bruising to his forehead”, Ms Barclay said.
Ms Barclay told the court Deryn Longhurst, assaulted the driver again “by pushing him” before walking off.
In a victim statement read out in court, Mr Munir said, “I was so disgusted and upset that she thought she could speak to me in that way.
“I was so very scared that night.”
He told the incident had cost him three hours’ work and the £40 fare from the night was left unpaid.
Sean Reilly, defending Ms Longhurst, told the court she had “freaked out” at being locked in the taxi adding “she is not a racist person, she freaked out and got very angry very quickly.”
Damien Longhurst admitted common assault. Deryn Longhurst admitted racially aggravated common assault. Ms Longhurst also pleaded guilty to four counts of stealing from a Boots store in Swindon in September last year.
Magistrates fined Damian Longhurst £200 and ordered him to pay Mr Munir £170 compensation.
Deryn Longhurst was handed a community order with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £270 compensation to Mr Munir.