An Alness woman who drunkenly assaulted and hurled racist abuse at a taxi driver has been ordered to pay him compensation.
Jessica Crawford had been on a night out in Inverness when she fell out with her intoxicated friend as they climbed into the back of a taxi on December 22 last year.
When the driver tried to talk to the arguing pair Crawford, 31, told him to “shut up” before using the N-word towards him.
Then, when he threw her out of his cab she launched herself at the man, swinging her arms and striking his face.
Now she must pay him compensation for that “shocking behaviour” after being sentenced, following the production of background reports, at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Hit the cabbie in the face
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said the driver asked them to leave his cab but she refused and shouted racial abuse at him, including using the “N-word”.
She then struck the driver in the face.
“She was pushed away and police were called,” the fiscal added. “Crawford was traced to Bar One nearby heavily intoxicated and arrested.”
Crawford, of Burnside Place, Alness, admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner and assaulting the cabbie by striking him on the face.
‘She is not a racist’
Defence solicitor advocate Neil Wilson said: “She has difficulty coming to terms with the charges due to shame and embarrassment.
“She insists to me that she is not a racist. Going out is a rare occasion for her and she has to accept responsibility for the state she got herself into.
“It is out of character for her. She is now focused on staying out of trouble.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer accepted she had “shown a considerable amount of contrition”.
“But your behaviour on that night was nothing short of disgraceful,” he added.
She was fined £320 and ordered to pay her victim £100 in compensation.
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