Racial discrimination: London woman jailed 21 weeks

Woodhouse

A London Underground passenger has been jailed for 21 weeks after she admitted hurling racist abuse at fellow passengers. Jacqueline Woodhouse, 42, of Romford, east London, directed an expletive-ridden rant at Tube passengers on the Central line on 23 January. A seven-minute video of the verbal assault was uploaded to YouTube. She received a 21-week prison sentence and a five-year Asbo at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Woodhouse admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, at the court, earlier in May. The prosecution offered no evidence on a separate charge of racially aggravated common assault. The court heard she stumbled over a black woman named Judy Russell as she boarded the carriage and proceeded to hurl insults, shouting: "You Africans take our council flats." The video shows Galbant Juttla, who filmed the incident on his mobile phone, telling Woodhouse to keep her mouth shut and that she had had too much to drink. The video of the verbal assault was viewed on YouTube more than 200,000 times. Woodhouse handed herself into police, telling officers she could not remember the comments but recognised herself in the video. Following the hearing, Mr Juttla, of Ilford, east London, said: "I found it very distressing. Condemning Woodhouse's outburst, District Judge Michael Snow said: "Anyone viewing it would feel a deep sense of shame that our citizens could be subject to such behaviour who may, as a consequence, believe that it secretly represents the views of other white people. "The train was packed with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds," he added. "The people included children." "She became loud, foul-mouthed and aggressive. She targeted her behaviour at those who weren't white. "She threatened violence against more than one person and it took place over a prolonged period." He added her "grossly offensive" language reflected her hostility to her fellow passengers. The judge told Woodhouse she would serve half her prison term behind bars and imposed an order banning her from using the Tube and the Docklands Light Railway while drunk, for a five-year period. Today, at the same court, District Judge Michael Snow told Woodhouse, from Romford, Essex, that anyone viewing the video 'would feel a deep sense of shame that our citizens could be subject to such behaviour who may, as a consequence, believe that it secretly represents the views of other white people'. Banning her from using the London Underground or Docklands Light Railway while drunk for five years, he continued: 'The train was packed with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. 'The people included children. She became loud, foul-mouthed and aggressive. She targeted her behaviour at those who weren't white. 'She directed it at those who were close to her, on occasions directly into their faces. 'She threatened violence against more than one person and it took place over a prolonged period.' The judge said the 'grossly offensive' language used by Woodhouse, who was previously fined over a similar incident on the DLR, reflected her hostility. 'She initially pleaded not guilty. She changed her plea to guilty one day before her trial. culled from BBC