Racist Tube rant woman Jacqueline Woodhouse jailed Published duration 29 May 2012

A London Underground passenger has been jailed for 21 weeks after she admitted hurling racist abuse at fellow passengers.

Jacqueline Woodhouse, 42, of Romford, east London, directed an expletive-ridden rant at Tube passengers on the Central line on 23 January.

A seven-minute video of the verbal assault was uploaded to YouTube.

She received a 21-week prison sentence and a five-year Asbo at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Woodhouse admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, at the court, earlier in May.

The prosecution offered no evidence on a separate charge of racially aggravated common assault.

'Sense of shame'

The court heard she stumbled over a black woman named Judy Russell as she boarded the carriage and proceeded to hurl insults, shouting: "You Africans take our council flats."

The video shows Galbant Juttla, who filmed the incident on his mobile phone, telling Woodhouse to keep her mouth shut and that she had had too much to drink.

"It's not your country anyway so what's your problem?" she said.

"It's been overtaken by people like you."

In further remarks, on a packed train between St Paul's and Mile End stations, she told passengers: "I'll have you arrested because you don't live here" and "I hope you are not claiming benefits."

The video of the verbal assault was viewed on YouTube more than 200,000 times.

Woodhouse handed herself into police, telling officers she could not remember the comments but recognised herself in the video.

Following the hearing, Mr Juttla, of Ilford, east London, said: "I found it very distressing.

"I uploaded it [the footage] to YouTube because I thought that was the fast-track process to catching this person.

"I also needed to show the public that kind of person is out there and not to put up with this kind of behaviour.

"My kids have seen the video and they are disgusted by it."

Condemning Woodhouse's outburst, District Judge Michael Snow said: "Anyone viewing it would feel a deep sense of shame that our citizens could be subject to such behaviour who may, as a consequence, believe that it secretly represents the views of other white people.

'Grossly offensive'

"The train was packed with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds," he added. "The people included children."

"She became loud, foul-mouthed and aggressive. She targeted her behaviour at those who weren't white.

"She threatened violence against more than one person and it took place over a prolonged period."

He added her "grossly offensive" language reflected her hostility to her fellow passengers.

The judge told Woodhouse she would serve half her prison term behind bars and imposed an order banning her from using the Tube and the Docklands Light Railway while drunk, for a five-year period.