REILLY: DRIVER SMASHED WINDOW AFTER RACIST RANT AT FEMALE MOTORIST

A motorist screamed racist abuse at another driver before smashing her window in a road rage attack, a court heard.

Thomas Reilly, 22, hurled insults at driver Farhana Begum, 21, as her terrified 13-year-old brother Jakir Al Hadi looked on, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

He threw a bolt at the car, showering her brother Abdul Kharhar, 19, in glass, jurors were told.

Reilly failed to attend court for his trial today, which went ahead in his absence.

Paul Evans, prosecuting, said the incident had begun after Begum pulled up alongside Ms Begum’s car at a set of traffic lights just off the north circular in Barking on 4 January this year.

Ms Begum noticed that he appeared to be gesturing and speaking to them, though she could not make out what he was saying.

Her brother Abdul, who was sitting in the passenger seat, wound down his window to see what he wanted to say.

‘What Miss Begum could hear Mr Reilly shouting were the words “f***ing Paki”,’ said Mr Evans.

‘He was shouting a lot of other swear words, he was shouting a lot of additional abuse, but the main thing Miss Begum could hear were the words “f***ing Paki”.’

Miss Begum, of Stratford, was extremely frightened by the driver’s actions, and when the car followed her onto the roundabout, she became so afraid that she did not turn off, he said.

Reilly then leaned out and spat onto her Ford Focus, and intimidated them by overtaking before they were stopped at another set of traffic lights, the court heard.

‘As the lights turned green, the Renault again overtook Miss Begum’s Ford Focus, and as the Renault overtook, Mr Reilly with his window open had a bolt in his hand, and he threw it at the Ford Focus,’ said Mr Evans.

It smashed the passenger window of the car, showing Kharhar in glass, the court heard.

‘The bolt itself hit the knee of Miss Begum and subsequently fell to her ankle,’ said Mr Evans.

The family were once again menaced by Reilly at the third set of lights after ending up on the same turning off, jurors were told.

‘Mr Reilly got out of the vehicle, walked towards Miss Begum and had his hands open, gesturing, Miss Begum thinks, that he wanted to have a fight,’ said Mr Evans.

‘However the lights eventually turned green and Mr Reilly got back in his vehicle and drove off.’

The family called police, who found that spit on the side of the car matched Reilly’s DNA, and arrested him.

At interview with police, he answered no comment to all questions.

Reilly, of (38) Colenso Road, Ilford, has denied two counts of racially aggravated assault and racially aggravated destruction of property.

The hearing continues.

Ends.