Bristol court fines passenger nearly £3,000 for racist abuse of private hire driver
- Perry Richardson
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A Bristol man has been fined and ordered to pay compensation after being convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence against a private hire driver, in a case highlighted by Avon and Somerset Police as evidence of tougher enforcement where proof is available.
The 56-year-old man was found guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 1 December 2025 following an incident during a private hire journey a year earlier. The court ordered him to pay £300 in compensation to the driver, a £1,792 fine and £802 in costs.
The offence took place on 1 December 2024 when a licensed private hire driver collected two passengers. During the journey, a man became abusive towards the driver, using racist language. The driver brought the journey to an early end and asked the passengers to leave the vehicle.
A second private hire driver later attended the scene and recorded further racist abuse from the man found guilty on a mobile phone. That footage was subsequently used as evidence in the prosecution, leading to the conviction.
Conviction follows mobile phone footage captured by another licensed driver after journey was terminated
PC Patrick Quinton, known within the trade as the Taxi Cop for Avon and Somerset Police, said the case demonstrated the importance of evidence in securing outcomes for drivers subjected to abuse. “Where we can get evidence we do robustly deal with racist abuse to drivers,” he said.
Quinton also highlighted that while in-vehicle CCTV systems are often promoted as a safeguard, drivers should not overlook other options. He noted that in this case the crucial evidence came from a mobile phone rather than a fixed camera system.
The case comes amid continued concern within the taxi and private hire sector about rising levels of abuse towards drivers, particularly at night-time and in the alcohol economy. Trade bodies have repeatedly called for stronger deterrents and clearer messaging that abuse of licensed drivers will not be tolerated.
PC Quinton said: “This shows two things - where we can get evidence we do robustly deal with racist abuse to drivers, and the importance of recording these incidents.
“We often talk about cameras in vehicles, but in this case it was a mobile phone so don't forget you might have that option too if you have a challenging customer.”
