MAN CONVICTED OF RACIALLY ABUSING AND URINATING IN ASHFORD TAXI DRIVERS CAB

MAN CONVICTED OF RACIALLY ABUSING AND URINATING IN ASHFORD TAXI DRIVER'S CAB

Charlie Brown, 38, has been found guilty of racially aggravated harassment and criminal damage after verbally abusing and urinating in the taxi of driver Khyam Bahadu Thapa during a ride from Ashford to Maidstone in 2023.

Brown, who denied the charges, made repeated comments about Mr Thapa's "slanty" eyes.

During the trial, footage was played which revealed Brown asking Mr Thapa: "Not being funny, but is it because you have slanty eyes?" and later, "Is that because your eyes are all slanty?"

Mr Thapa, who is of Nepalese and Filipino heritage, testified that these comments left him "deeply hurt," and that he felt "frightened" and "in danger" during the incident.

Mr Thapa also described how Brown urinated in his taxi on the M20. "Just after that I heard something flowing. I turned back and realised he was peeing in the car," he told the court.

A video captured the driver's shock and subsequent confrontation.

Brown admitted to making "silly and immature" comments but claimed they were "descriptive words" and "weren't racist."

In his defence, he stated: "I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t see it as a racist comment. He called me chubby in his statement - it’s just a description."

He also attributed the urination incident to intoxication, sayin: "It wasn’t on purpose. It felt like a balloon which was going to explode. I’m embarrassed I wet myself at that age."

Despite his claims, magistrates convicted Brown, ordering him to do 150 hours of unpaid work, a 12-month community order, and to pay £1,352.40 in compensation and costs, including £358 for the taxi's carpet and vent repairs.

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