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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kenny Parker

Mum's foul mouthed racist rant at taxi driver following 1am drunken house party

A mum hurled foul mouthed racist abuse at an Asian taxi driver in front of her two children as he was dropping them off following a drunken house party.

Joanna Brophy, 32, shouted: "You do not belong in this country', and 'You fing colored twt" at Turkey-born Ozkan Koc as she stumbled out of his private hire cab with her daughters, aged seven and five as well as an 11-year-old family friend who was due to have a sleepover.

Brophy had been due to look after the youngsters at her home in Latchford, Warrington, Cheshire.

However, she was arrested at the property after Mr Koc, 40, called the police over fears she was about to strike him during her rant.

Later, after she was left in the cells to sober up, Brophy claimed she could barely remember what she said to the cabbie.

It is not known what happened to the children.

Brophy pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and being drunk in charge of a child and was fined £200 as well as being ordered to pay £100 in compensation to Mr Koc (Joanna Brophy/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Brophy pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and being drunk in charge of a child and was fined £200 at at Warrington magistrates court.

She was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to Mr Koc.

Laura Simpson, prosecuting, said: "The matters go back to June 4 in the early hours of the morning.

"The defendant was with her two children aged five and seven, and a friend of one of the children aged 11. She got a taxi from one address to the defendant's address.

"The victim is the taxi driver. He said he could tell that the defendant was drunk.

"When they arrived at the defendant's address, she was abusive to the taxi driver, calling him names.

"She said 'You stupid dickhead. You do not belong in this country', and 'You f*ing colored twat.' She then approached the driver's door. The window was open and she raised her arm and the victim believed she was going to strike him.

"As a result, he closed the window and called the police. Officers attended the defendant's address. They knocked at the door and the defendant answered.

"She was very intoxicated and the only adult present in charge of three children."

Mrs Simpson said that in a subsequent police interview, Brophy told officers she could not recall what she had said to the victim.

Brophy has also been ordered to pay £215 in costs and victim surcharge (Joanna Brophy/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

"She remembered asking him which country he came from and was really sorry for any racist remarks," the prosecutor said.

"She confirmed that she was intoxicated looking after three children.”

Brophy was also ordered to pay £215 in costs and victim surcharge, and attend 25 days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service as part of a 12-month community order.

Chairman of the bench Alf Bean told her: "The bench finds it extremely disappointing that you should come before the court aged 32 with no previous convictions.

"And to come before the court having behaved this way towards a taxi driver because of the colour of his skin is thoroughly unacceptable. We take a dim view of that.

"This behaviour was particularly bad enough but it was exacerbated by the fact that children were there. Behaving in this manner is wholly unacceptable, it is reprehensible.

"However, I am mindful that this appears to be a one-off incident. Do not let it happen again."

Earlier after the magistrates said that they had read the probation report on Brophy, solicitor Susan Hedges, representing her said: "It is a full and helpful report and there is not a great deal I would add."

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