Man jailed after racially motivated attack on station taxi driver

A taxi driver was left covered in blood and with a cut to his head which required stitches after he was assaulted while working at Newcastle railway station.

John Anthony White, of Shield Street in Newcastle, was convicted of serious public order at Newcastle Magistrates Court on November 7.

He failed to appear at his trial and was found guilty in his absence. A warrant was issued for his arrest and White was arrested and jailed for 30 weeks.

The court heard how 37-year-old White had been hanging around near the taxi rank outside Newcastle railway station just before 7.30pm on Monday June 27.

He began to hurl racial abuse at a man who was about to get into a taxi. White’s abuse directed at the man became more and more offensive, he then spat at him.

The driver of the taxi got out of his car to intervene in the situation. White kicked the taxi door then began to throw punches at the driver and the man he’d spat at.

He hit the driver, cutting his head and covering him in blood.

Two other taxi drivers intervened and jumped on White, holding him to the ground while the police attended and arrested him.