Racist Fegg Hayes binman Gareth Williams hit taxi driver on head

A DRUNKEN binman who hurled racist abuse at a taxi driver before punching him and urinating in his car has been spared jail.

Gareth Williams was arrested after he launched an unprovoked attack on Sher Gul after drinking 10 pints of beer.

The 25-year-old, who works for Stoke-on-Trent City Council as a refuse collector, climbed into the taxi after a night drinking at the Coach and Horses pub in Tunstall.

But Mr Gul was forced to stop his taxi and call for help after Williams began threatening him and asking: "Why don't you go back to where you came from?"

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North Staffordshire Magistrates Court heard how Williams made 'jabbing' motions to the driver's head 'like a boxer,' with one of the punches striking Mr Gul's shoulder.

He then climbed out of the car, urinated through the open door and repeatedly kicked the vehicle, causing more than £400 in damage. Now Williams, of Rivington Crescent, Fegg Hayes, has been convicted of racially aggravated assault and criminal damage.

Williams, who denied the charges but was found guilty after a trial, has also been ordered to pay £425 to cover the damage, £100 in compensation to Mr Gul, and £600 court costs.

He must complete an alcohol rehabilitation course, was made subject to a two-year supervision order and placed on an electrically-monitored curfew for 12 weeks, between 7pm and 8.30am.

Fred Holland, chairman of the magistrates' bench, told Williams: "This was a racially aggravated assault on a taxi driver carrying out his work.

"It was committed in public and aggravated by drink and the driver felt sufficiently frightened to summon support from the police as well as his fellow taxi drivers."

The court heard how Williams launched his attack at around 1am on June 17, after getting into the taxi with two others.

Prosecutor Ian Pinkney said Williams was sitting in the front passenger seat before he became abusive.

Terrified Mr Gul eventually stopped the taxi in Johnson Place, Fegg Hayes, to call for help.

Mr Pinkney said: "The defendant punched the windows and kicked at the door and the rear driver-side door.

"He went to the front of the windscreen shouting, 'come on, get out or drive over me'."

The court heard how the car was dented, scuffed and left smelling of urine after Williams's attack.

Mr Gul gave a statement to police describing how he was scared and didn't know why Williams had acted the way he did.

Williams was not represented by a solicitor during the sentencing yesterday. He refused to explain his actions to the magistrates.

Chairman Mr Holland said he would be dealt with 'very severely' if he failed to comply with the terms of his punishment.