A drunken woman attacked a taxi driver, threw her purse at him and grabbed hold of the steering wheel of his moving car in a row over her fare.
Cabbie Llyas Khan was forced to take months off work after the late-night assault left him with problems with his sight and too scared to carry passengers.
He was punched and scratched as his attacker Haley Spink hurled racist abuse at him.
Spink, of Batley Street, Moldgreen, admitted to charges of racially-aggravated assault, causing a danger to road users and possession of cannabis.
Kirklees magistrates heard that the incident happened on September 13 when Mr Khan picked up Spink from his taxi base in Huddersfield town centre at 11pm.The 25-year-old asked him to take her to Trafalgar Close in Brackenhall and sat in the front passenger seat.
Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said: “When they got to the destination Mr Khan asked her for £4 and she said: ‘What money?’.
“She then began to shout something about another taxi firm called Timmys and they would sort it but Mr Khan said he did not work for them and would need paying.”
Mrs Jones said: “She turned to him and said: ‘I ain’t white, I’m nigger’ and threw her purse at him and £1.50 fell out onto the central console.
“He said: ‘Look, you have money’ and she flew into a rage.”
Spink punched Mr Khan in the mouth and, when he threw her purse back at her, grabbed him and scratched his face.
Mrs Jones said: “He was really frightened and started to drive up the road. Spink grabbed hold of the steering wheel and he hit the kerb several times. She then shouted to him ‘Paki’ , he sounded the horn for assistance and she kicked out at him.”
Members of the public who witnessed the commotion rushed to the driver’s aid and police were called.
A bag of cannabis was found amongst the contents of Spinks’ handbag inside the car and she was clearly under the influence of alcohol.
Mr Khan was treated at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary for injuries including scratching around his eye, bite marks and further scratches to his neck and face.
He said in a victim impact statement that he was unable to work for two to three months because he had trouble seeing clearly due to the injury to his eye.
Mrs Jones added: “He was shaken up by the incident and scared to have passengers in the taxi with him.”
The court heard that Spink had 35 offences to her name including several assaults.
Mike Sisson- Pell, mitigating, said: “This young lady has had a problem for some time.
“When not in drink she’s a pleasant and normal human being.
“It’s only when in drink if things spiral out of control she resorts to violence.”
Magistrates handed Spink a 20-week jail term suspended for 18 months.
She has to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay Mr Khan £200 compensation.
