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Woman must pay compensation over racist rant at bus passenger

Hughes appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court
Hughes appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court

A woman who hurled racist abuse at a fellow bus passenger in Inverness has been ordered to pay the victim compensation.

Sharon Hughes, 52, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing over the incident on November 7 last year.

Hughes previously pled guilty to a charge of acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused, or was intended to cause, alarm or distress.

Bus driver told Hughes to stop

The court heard that a woman had been waiting alone at a bus stop on the city’s Queensgate.

She was talking to her mother in Urdu and Punjabi over the telephone when Hughes began to question her on why she was not speaking in English.

Hughes then made racist comments to the woman, who was left in a state of alarm and distress, before the pair both boarded the same bus.

Fiscal Depute Karen Poke told the court that, once on board: “The accused continued to shout racial remarks at her. This was overheard by the bus driver who shouted at her to stop but it was ignored.”

The driver then stopped the bus on Millburn Road and ordered Hughes to get off, but she refused. Police were called and she was eventually escorted from the bus, continuing to shout derogatory comments.

Ms Poke added: “The complainer was not known to her and this was completely unprovoked.”

Solicitor Marc Dickson, for Hughes, told the court his client has poor mental health and had been in a state of heightened anxiety on the day of the incident after hearing a friend had been hospitalised during the Covid pandemic.

Pair ‘exchanged words’ about masks

He said that Hughes, who also suffers from COPD and has respiratory problems had taken prescription medication and alcohol before the two women at the bus stop exchanged words about the wearing of masks, prompting the incident.

“She isn’t someone who considers herself to hold racist views. In the past she was in a long term relationship with someone of a different ethnicity,” he added.

Ordering Hughes to pay compensation of £300 plus a £20 victim surcharge Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said: “Your behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.”