Man jailed for racial harassment of minicab driver A 25-year-old man has been jailed for the racial harassment of a minicab driver.
Ross Woodard, of Park View Road, Redhill, was sent to jail for eight weeks for racially or religiously aggravated harassment of Masum Haque, a driver for Reigate-based Belfry Cars.
Redhill Magistrates’ Court heard that Woodard had pulled up behind Mr Haque’s car at the Shell garage in Horley Road, Earlswood, on February 27 this year, when the incident happened.
Prosecutor Moses Koroma said: “He [Mr Haque] said, whilst he was filling up his vehicle, he suddenly heard a man’s voice shouting ‘what are you ******* looking at?’ and repeating it.
“He said he was very confused at first because he wasn’t sure why Mr Woodard was talking to him.
“Mr Woodard then continued shouting at him, saying ‘what are you looking at, I will show you’.”
Mr Koroma said the shouting continued, and Woodard repeatedly called Mr Haque a ‘******* Muslim’ and threatened to ‘kick his ass’.
“Mr Haque moved to the front of Mr Woodard’s vehicle to take down the registration number,” said Mr Koroma. “As he did so, Mr Woodard drove his vehicle forward and nearly hit Mr Haque.”
In a statement, Mr Haque said he was extremely scared and believed Woodard would be violent towards him.
Mitigating, Chris Prior said the incident was “regrettable” and said his client accepts he did not behave properly.
“It comes about because of a difficulty of parking with Mr Haque,” he said. “He can’t get around him so he loses his temper.”
But Woodard had not made an attempt to deliberately mow anybody down when he moved his car, he said.
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