Racially Abusive Passenger Urinates in Ashford Taxi, Convicted

Charlie Brown, 38, was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment and criminal damage after an incident involving a taxi driver in 2023. The altercation occurred during a journey from Ashford to Maidstone, when Brown verbally abused Khyam Bahadu Thapa, the driver, with racially offensive comments about his eyes. Brown repeatedly asked Mr. Thapa:

"Not being funny, but is it because you have slanty eyes?"
"Is that because your eyes are all slanty?"

Mr. Thapa, who is of Nepalese and Filipino descent, expressed that the remarks caused him deep distress and made him feel unsafe during the ride. Mr. Thapa testified:

"These comments left me deeply hurt,"
"I felt frightened and in danger."

This incident of racial abuse is not isolated, as many taxi drivers across the UK have faced similar challenges. For example, in Basingstoke, taxi drivers have reported experiencing racial discrimination from local councils, a matter that is being closely examined for broader implications in the industry. Read more about this issue here.

In addition to the verbal abuse, Brown urinated in the taxi while traveling along the M20. Mr. Thapa recounted:

"Just after that I heard something flowing. I turned back and realised he was peeing in the car."
The footage of the incident showed the driver’s shocked reaction and confrontation.

Although Brown acknowledged making "silly and immature" remarks, he claimed they were not intended to be racist. He also attributed his urination in the taxi to intoxication, stating:

"It wasn’t on purpose. It felt like a balloon which was going to explode."

The court convicted Brown, sentencing him to 150 hours of unpaid work, a 12-month community order, and requiring him to pay £1,352.40 for damages, including repairs to the taxi.