A racist thug told police officers that he was “pleased” when he accused an Asian taxi driver for being responsible for the Manchester Arena attack before smashing up the victim’s cab with a baseball bat.
Terence Poxon, 58, said his victim had “firebombed kids” before smashing up his taxi with a baseball bat – a week after the deadly suicide attack which killed 23 people and injured 250 more.
The perpetrator dressed himself in a Union Jack t-shirt and said he kept a weapon with him in case anyone questioned his appearance.
Poxon added that he was “pleased” his actions scared the taxi driver and told police officers “yes, I am being racist” as he explained his motives.
Steven Taylor, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, said the incident took place at around 3.30pm on May 28.
He said Poxon had called a taxi from his home in Shelton Lock.
Mr Taylor said: “The taxi driver asked him where he wanted to go and the defendant answered ‘Normanton’.
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“When the driver asked him ‘where in Normanton’ he suddenly became aggressive and said to the victim ‘you did the Manchester bomb’.
“He then pulled a wooden baton from his sleeve of his coat.”
Mr Taylor stated that his actions “frightened the cabbie” who managed to pull over and get out of the taxi.
He said Poxon also got out of the taxi and smashed three windows and dented the car with a baseball bat.
The incident was witnessed by people at a bus stop who the taxi driver had approached for protection.
Mr Taylor said: “One of the witnesses said the defendant was wearing a Union Jack t-shirt and gesticulating in a confrontational manner shouting ‘Chelsea, Chelsea’ like a football chant.
“He then pointed at the taxi driver and shouted ‘guilty’.”
According to the Derby Telegraph, Poxon had walked back to his house by the time police arrived at the scene.
He was later arrested, and on route to the police station he swore at officers and, continued to racially abuse the taxi driver.
Mr Taylor said: “He said to the officers ‘yes, I am being racist’ and he was not particularly apologetic about it.
“He told officers his intention was to go to Normanton Road wearing his Union Jack t-shirt and he had the baton in case anyone approached him about it.
“He said had anyone asked about his t-shirt he would have used the baton against them.
“He said he wanted the taxi driver to feel like the little kids did at the Manchester bomb.”
Poxon pleaded guilty to threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place, racially-aggravated criminal damage and a racially aggravated public order offence
Jailing him for 25 weeks, Judge Nirmal Shant, said: “The victim was doing nothing more than carrying out his job in a law-abiding way when you decided you were going to teach him a lesson for something he was not responsible for.
“Your behaviour was wholly unacceptable.”
Stuart Newsome, representing Poxon, said his client had never been in trouble with the police before and had physical illnesses such as chronic arthritis, liver disease and stomach problems.
He said: “He is not a man of entrenched violence by any stretch of the imagination.
“He is remorseful and feels guilty and embarrassed about what he did.”
