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Peterborough taxi passenger shouted at driver to 'go back to Pakistan'
A passenger in a taxi shouted at the driver to "go back to Pakistan". The Peterborough woman accused the driver of being "rude" but admitted shouting at him.
However, Hayleigh Elstone, 27, denied that what she said was racist. She has been fined after appearing in court.
She was picked up by a taxi from her home in Croyland Road, Walton, along with her two young children and boyfriend on the morning of October 31 last year. The driver asked Elstone to dispose of a can of drink as he did not allow food or drink to be consumed in his car.
But this request apparently triggered Elstone's outrage. She got rid of the can and they began their journey but she then commented about having “had enough attitude from the driver this morning”.
The driver stopped the taxi and drove back to Elstone’s home and asked the family to get out due to her attitude and behaviour. Elstone called the taxi firm to complain and order another taxi but refused to get out the car, causing the pair to argue, which they both filmed on their phones.
At one point, the footage captured Elstone saying, “people like you who come to this country and then act rude to people like this, why don’t you go back to Pakistan”. A report was made to police and Elstone was interviewed. She admitted making the comments but denied they were racist.
However, she admitted causing harassment, alarm or distress, which was racially aggravated, at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 1, and was fined £300.
PC Ellis Howe, from Peterborough’s north Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We have no tolerance of this kind of behaviour within our communities and where there are viable lines of enquiry we will always investigate and take action. If anyone is subjected to a hate crime, or witnesses one, I would urge them to make a report to us.”
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