Mother hurled racist abuse at Turkish taxi driver in front of children

Drunken mother, 32, who hurled racist abuse at Turkish taxi driver saying he ‘doesn’t belong in this country’ in front of her two children aged seven and five is fined £200

• Joanna Brophy racially abused taxi driver after he dropped them home at 1am
• The drunken mother was the only present adult looking after the three children
• She was at a house party with her two young daughters and a family friend, 11,
• Brophy shouted: ‘You don’t belong in this country’ before almost ‘striking’ him 

A drunken mother who hurled vile racist abuse at a Turkish taxi driver in front of her two children has been fined £200.

Joanna Brophy, 32, told the driver ‘You do not belong in this country’ after he dropped her off at her home in Warrington, Cheshire at 1am following a house party on June 4.

She also said ‘You f***ing coloured t**t’ while stumbling out of Turkey-born Ozkan Koc’s private hire taxi with the three children. 

The mother was the only adult in charge of her two daughters, aged seven and five, and an 11-year-old family friend who was due to have a sleepover.

Brophy was meant to look after all of the children at her home but was instead arrested after her vile abuse.

Mr Koc, 40, called the police after he thought that the passenger was going to strike him during her foul rant.

After officers arrested Brophy at the property, she was left in the cells to sober up but claimed she could barely remember what she had said to Mr Koc.

At Warrington Magistrates’ Court, Brophy pleaded guilty to racially aggravated embarrassment as well as being drunk in charge of a child.

Joanna Brophy, 32, was fined £200 after hurling vile racist abuse at a Turkish taxi driver, telling him: ‘You do not belong in this country’ and ‘You f***ing coloured t**t.’

The mother was in a taxi home from a drunken house party despite being the only adult in charge of her two children, aged seven and five, and an 11-year-old family friend who was due to have a sleepover

On top of a £200 fine she was also ordered to pay £100 to Mr Koc.

Prosecutor Laura Simpson 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 d***head. You do not belong in this country’, and ‘You f***ing coloured t**t.’ 

‘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.’

At Warrington Magistrates’ Court (pictured), Brophy pleaded guilty to racially aggravated embarrassment as well as being drunk in charge of a child

Mrs Simpson said that in a subsequent police interview, Brophy could not recall what she had said to Mr Koc.

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

 ‘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, who was representing her, said: ‘It is a full and helpful report and there is not a great deal I would add.’

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