Exeter poker player headbutts taxi driver in racist attackA poker player has been ordered to pay compensation to a taxi driver who he headbutted in a racist attack on his way home from a game.
Geoffrey Crowe had been playing cards with friends and went on to have a drinking session at a club before he confronted the cabbie in the centre of Exeter.
He pushed one driver out of the way in a drunken argument and then headbutted victim Dawood Yaweri and insulting him as a ‘f***ing foreigner’.
Service manager Crowe told the two drivers to go back to their own country even though they told him they were British, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Crowe, aged 30, of Duckworth Road, Exeter, admitted causing actual bodily harm through racially aggravated assault and was ordered to pay £250 compensation, £210 costs and do 150 hours unpaid community work by Recorder Mr John Williams.
He told him:”I am told you do not have racist thoughts but when this assault took place there were unpleasant racist words used. You were completely drunk. That does not assist your situation, it makes it worse.”
Mr Greg Richardson, prosecuting, said Mr Yaweri and fellow cabbie Mohammed Mehdi were on call in Sidwell Street, Exeter, in the early hours of April 25 when Crowe approached them.
He was trying to get a taxi home but instead got into a confrontation with the two drivers, pushing Mr Mehdi out of the way and headbutting Mr Yaweri when he intervened.
Mr Richardson said:”A independent witness saw the end of the incident and heard Crowe calling the men ‘f***ing foreigners’. He said he had no problem with them being here but if they had a problem with him they should go back to their own country.
“Crowe told police he had been drinking at a poker night and moved on to a club where he was drinking double vodkas and Red Bulls. He rated his drunkenness at seven out of ten.
“He said he would never have made racist comments and said he was defending himself.”
Mr Andrew Morris, defending, said Crowe worked as manager but could do unpaid community work on a Sunday and could afford to pay compensation. He said he did not accept he used racist language.
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