A racist teen who called a Muslim taxi driver a “paedophile” and the P-word avoided prison and must pay hundreds in compensation.
19-year-old Evan Wright pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates Court earlier this week, according to the Chester Standard.
The Chester Standard further reported that taxi driver Tahir Majeed had politely informed a group of seven, including Evan Wright, on February 5 that his vehicle could not hold more than five people. Jacob Sutton began kicking his taxi, causing damage to the wing mirror and side exterior, as Wright joined in.
Fearing for his safety, Majeed called the police and, upon assessing damage to his vehicle, was called “dirty”, a “paedophile”, and a “P***”.
Following his arrest, Wright apologised and, according to the news report, avoided prison due to his previous good character and finding employment.
The compensation to Tahir Majeed totals £850, as the suspended sentence carries the risk of a custodial outcome if Evan Wright commits any further offences.
Days earlier, Tell MAMA highlighted the worrying trend of racist violence and harassment towards taxi drivers in areas like Derby and beyond, reinforcing the importance of support schemes like our Safety, Security & Beyond in helping drivers report anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hate crimes.
The broad racialised, stigmatising targeting of Muslim men as paedophiles is an issue we’ve highlighted in case studies on our website. From graffiti, far-right campaigns, verbal abuse and even attempted violence to deeper analysis in some of our annual reports.
Are you a taxi driver or taxi firm interested in our support scheme? Please email info@tellmamauk.org to register your interest and for further information.
You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.