Sponsored by
Drunken Leeds sisters in racist rant
TWO middle-aged sisters launched a drunken, racist rant at a student on a Leeds bus before attacking her.
Lynne Bradley, 54, of Fulham Street, Beeston, and Tracey Halliday, 44, of West Grange Road, Leeds, targeted the black student soon after she got on the bus at the Corn Exchange.
Leeds Crown Court heard mother-of-two Halliday first turned to two Muslim women on the bus with their children and shouted: "Why are you not speaking English, you are in England."
Halliday continued shouting racist abuse at the women until they got off and then said: "I hate black people."
Prosecutor, James Bourne-Arton said Bradley repeatedly shouted that she hated black people during the incident just after 6pm on April 11.
Stop
The two sisters got off at the same stop as the student and Bradley said to her: "Do you want to start something? Go home to your own country."
Mr Bourne-Arton said that the two sisters then slapped the student around her face and body. The student called police and the two sisters were arrested nearby.
Mitigating, Martin Sharp said both women had gone on a drinking spree to "self medicate" after learning a third sister had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The court heard Halliday had downed around eight pints after starting drinking at 1pm.
Mr Sharp said Halliday was described by people who knew her well as "trustworthy and compassionate" and "a pillar of strength in her local community."
Judge Paul Hoffman gave both women a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years with a two-year supervision order. They were told to attend a programme to help them deal with racial issues. Halliday was also ordered to pay 368 towards prosecution costs.
Judge Hoffman said the fact Bradley had two mixed-race children made the attack particularly surprising."
The court heard the women's victim had suffered stress, nightmares and had now moved from the area. Both sisters had admitted racially aggravated common assault by beating.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Politics: Mark Hookham's Westminster blog - 5.33pm
- Castleford RSPB Fairburn Ings: High wire act Swallows’ summer parade
- Worker dies on North Yorkshire Moors Railway
- Video: Restaurant reopens on Leeds Harry Ramsden’s site after £500,000 refit
- Chocolat author will tempt guests at Leeds Big Bookend Festival
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
