
A Merseyside man has been fined after subjecting a cabbie to a barrage of racial abuse during a journey in Chester.
Jordan McCulloch, 31, from Oxton, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated intentional harassment through words when he appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, November 10.
The court heard that the incident took place on Monday, January 5, after McCulloch and a friend were picked up on Hoole Road between 6.30pm and 7pm. Prosecutor Teri O’Brien explained that a heavily intoxicated McCulloch began talking to the driver, Georgiev Nikolay, but the conversation rapidly turned abusive.
During the journey, McCulloch launched into a tirade, telling the driver “no police are here” while shouting slurs, calling him “you Polish t***” and “you Albanian t***”.
Ms O’Brien noted that Mr Nikolay “attempted to remain calm throughout” and clarified that he was actually Greek, but this only invited further insults, with McCulloch shouting, “you little Greek t***, you Greek b******”.
The encounter was captured on dashcam footage, and Mr Nikolay brought the fare to an early end after McCulloch also lit a cigarette inside the vehicle.
Defending, James Edwards said McCulloch had made “full and frank admissions to police” once sober, felt “ashamed” of his actions, and described the tirade as “random, drunken foolish and stupid”.
The court was told McCulloch suffers from depression and had been self-medicating with alcohol and drugs.
Magistrates ordered McCulloch to pay a £200 fine, an £80 victim surcharge, £85 in court costs, and £100 in compensation to Mr Nikolay.

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