Driver shouted racist abused and referred to Westminster terror attacks in Leeds road rage incident

A DRIVER subjected a couple to racial abuse and made reference to the Westminster terror attacks during a road rage incident.

Jamal Hussain put the victims through a 20-minute ordeal as they were driving home from a funeral along Leeds inner road, a court heard.

Hussain, 21, had his heavily pregnant wife sat beside him during the incident on March 29 of this year.

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Leeds Crown Court was shown a mobile phone recording of the incident. Hussain also made reference to the terror attack on Westminster Bridge, which had happened a week earlier. Four people were killed and 50 injured when 52-year-old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians and fatally stabbed a police officer.

Caroline Abraham, prosecuting, said the couple and a relative were driving home from a funeral when they noticed Hussain behind them in his VW Jetta.

Hussain began flashing his lights and sounding his horn before pulling alongside them.

One of the occupants of the car filmed Hussain as he shouted the abuse. Miss Abraham said Hussain continued to follow the vehicle for 20 minutes. Hussain, of Halton Moor Avenue, Leeds, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and racially aggravated harassment.

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Assumpta O’Rourke, mitigating, said Hussain was under a great deal of pressure at the time over a long-running family feud.

Recorder Toby Wynn said: “This is a baffling case because there is no rational explanation of why a 21-year-old man behaved in this way in front of his heavily pregnant wife.”

Hussain was given an eight month sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was made the subject of a three month curfew and told he must take part in a 30-day activity programme.