A woman has admitted racially abusing and assaulting a taxi driver on a drunken night out in Inverness.
Jessica Crawford and another woman climbed into the man’s vehicle as he waited at a taxi rank, but the pair began to argue.
When the driver tried to talk to them she told him to “shut up” before using the N-word towards him.
Then, when he threw her out of his cab, Crawford, 31, launched herself at the man, swinging her arms and striking his face.
‘Accused was highly intoxicated’
At Inverness Sheriff Court Crawford entered guilty pleas to one charge of assault and a second of acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress.
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph told the court that the incident happened at around 11.30pm on December 22 last year.
She said: “The witness was within his taxi in the taxi rank on Academy Street. He was approached by two females, one being the accused who was highly intoxicated.”
The court heard that the pair then started arguing, and when the driver attempted to intervene to ascertain where he was to take them Crawford told him to “shut up” before using the racial slur towards him.
“The taxi driver told her to get out of the taxi but she refused and continued shouting and swearing,” Mrs Ralph said.
Crawford did eventually exit the vehicle but turned again on the taxi driver.
Taxi driver was not injured
“She launched herself towards him swinging her arms and struck him on the face,” Mrs Ralph said, adding that the man did not suffer any injury as a result.
The court heard that police were called and Crawford was apprehended in nearby Bar One.
She was taken to the police station where she made no reply to a caution and charge.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson called for a criminal justice social work report and deferred sentence to next month granting Crawford, of Burnside, Alness, bail on the standard conditions.
