A bus driver was racially abused by a passenger after he missed his stop while distracted by his phone.
John Richardson turned aggressive when the driver refused to let him leave the bus between stops. Newcastle Crown Court heard Richardson, who was on his way back from his brother's funeral and had been drinking, warned the driver he would kill him if he did not stop the vehicle and told him to "go back to your own country".
Prosecutor Ian Cook told the court the victim was driving a bus in Washington on May 6 2021 and had stopped at Rickleton to allow a female passenger to get off. Mr Cook added: "This was the stop where the defendant intended to get off but he missed the stop. He had been distracted by his mobile phone. The defendant then approached the driver and asked him to stop the bus.
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