Woman gets community sentence and fine for abusing Muslim cabbie and damaging car

Categories: Latest News
Friday May 13 2016
The Derbyshire Times reports on the sentence and fine imposed on a woman accused of racially abusing a Muslim taxi driver and damaging his cab over a dispute about the fare.
Kirsty Burton, 22, appeared before Chesterfield magistrates’ court this week charged with racially aggravated criminal damage and criminal damage.
The court heard that at 1am on 25 December 2015, taxi driver Nisar Suleman drove to an address in Old Whittington in Chesterfield where one female passenger exited his cab. Ms Burton, the remaining passenger, instructed Mr Suleman to drive to an address in Grangewood.
When the cab arrived at the destination, the fare stood at £29.95 but Ms Burton only had £4.80 on her. Ms Burton offered Mr Suleman her name and address saying she would owe the difference.
The court heard that Mr Suleman told Ms Burton that he would drive her to the police station instead at which, he claimed, she racially abused him.
Ms Burton was also alleged to have kicked and smashed a car window as Mr Suleman drove away.
Ms Burton told the court that Mr Suleman had called her “ignorant” and suggested that he would not receive such treatment in Pakistan thus provoking her reaction.
She also told the court that Mr Suleman “had driven away with her locked in the car and she was scared and felt vulnerable.”
Mr Suleman denied the accusations and Ms Burton was convicted of racially aggravated criminal damage and criminal damage on May 6.
Due to a change in the law, the conviction was recorded as a single offence of racially aggravated damage.
District Judge Andrew Davison on 11 May sentenced Burton to a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £621.95 in compensation, a £60 victim surcharge and £620 costs.
Ms Burton’s lawyers said she would be appealing against the sentence.