60-year-old is prosecuted for tirade of racial abuse against driver

A 60-year-old man suspected of working as an unregistered taxi driver delivered a tirade of racial abuse when challenged, Bath magistrates heard.

Stephen Woods was in court last Wednesday, 5th August, following the incident which happened on 10th May.

The court heard from the prosecutor that Woods had made racist comments to a taxi driver who was taking photos of him in the rank outside Bath Spa railway station.

The driver had reportedly been told to do so by a taxi official at the council in response to complaints about Woods getting fares despite being unregistered.

The dispute continued later, on the forecourt of a nearby service station, with Woods uttering racist slurs to the taxi driver in front of a number of people, part of which was recorded on a mobile phone.

It included Woods saying: “This is not your country. Go back to your country. This is my country.”

Police were called, and Woods was arrested. He told the officers: “Why don’t you go down to the beach and stop all these immigrants from coming in?”

Woods, of Monksdale Road in Bath, admitted the racially aggravated offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.

Woods was represented in court by solicitor Lisa Rowley. She told magistrates that he had been at the railway station to pick up a friend’s autistic children and had become concerned about photos being taken.

She said he suffers from anxiety and has various health ailments.

Woods apologised directly to the magistrates, telling them he was “anxious about what is happening in this country”.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a court surcharge of £32.

Bath Echo