Suspended sentence alert
'Utterly disgraceful' racist Leeds bully attacked taxi driver then smashed up his cab with concrete slabhttps://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... ab-5391565A bully who racially abused a taxi driver before attacking him and his car has escaped with a suspended sentence.Andre Roper made vile comments to the man after getting into the passenger seat, before taking a concrete slab and smashing all of car’s windows.
He appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week for sentencing after admitting criminal damage and ABH.
The 39-year-old was found guilty of racially-aggravated harassment following a trial at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
Roper was with three others who got into a taxi in Morley shortly after 11pm on December 2, 2023.
Prosecutor Emily Jenkins said Roper immediately became aggressive, telling the driver - who was entering a postcode into his satnav - to move off.
He called him a monkey then told him he got his licence in the UK, before telling the taxi driver he got his from Africa.
The driver asked them all to get out. The other three passengers did so, but Roper refused to move.
He then punched the driver to the face causing his nose to bleed. The defendant was then dragged out of the vehicle by the passengers, but he kicked both wing mirrors, causing damage.
He briefly left the scene but returned armed with a chunk of concrete slab and began hitting the car windows, causing them all to either smash or crack.
He then threw the slab at the stunned driver, which struck him on his arm.
Roper, of Farrow Vale, Armley, was arrested from his home just after 3am the next day.
Officers had to force their way into his home and he was described as being arrogant and refused to listen or co-operate, squaring up to the officers.
In a victim impact statement, read to the court by Ms Jenkins, the taxi driver said Roper’s actions made him ashamed to be black and African.
He said there was no just cause and that his children are worried that Roper will come to their home.
The taxi driver said: “I never expected such an horrific incident.”
Roper has two previous convictions for five offences, including an affray and a public order offence.
Mitigating, Chantelle Stocks said that Roper suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being attacked by a metal bar in 2014 that had affected him emotionally.
But the judge, Recorder Sam Green KC was quick to interject and asked why people suffering such symptoms rarely take it out on a “bigger or harder blokes”.
Despite this, and labelling Roper’s behaviour as “utterly disgraceful”, he opted not to lock him up, saying it would impact his family and that he would not receive any help in jail.
He gave him an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months.
He was also given 20 rehabilitation days, a six-month alcohol treatment requirement and 150 hours to complete.
He was also told to pay £500 to cover the taxi driver’s insurance excess.
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