Man, 19, head-butted taxi driver (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Man, 19, head-butted taxi driver

3:57pm Friday 18th April 2008 in News By Telegraph newsdesk

A dispute over a taxi fare ended with a 19-year-old man approaching the driver and head-butting him on the nose without warning.

Blackburn magistrates heard Scott Andrew Slater then made a racist comment to the Asian driver and later told police that he was a racist.

Slater, of Bentham Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Nasir Iqbal. He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report with a recommendation that custody would be the appropriate sentence.

Claire Grant, prosecuting, said Mr Iqbal had delivered five people, including the defendant, from Accrington to his address in Bentham Road. The group began arguing about who was going to pay the fare and eventually all five walked off without offering any payment at all.

"After a few minutes a female, who was with the defendant, called the driver over," said Mrs Grant. "The defendant said he would pay but as Mr Iqbal went over, Slater head butted him on the nose causing a lot of bleeding."

Basharat Ditta, defending, said his client was not a racist.

hours of the morning," said Mr Ditta.