Sutton man used racist language towards bus driver, then rants at magistrates

Mark Robert Fleming, 53, of Junction Road, Sutton, then ranted at the magistrates in Mansfield after the verdict had been given by saying: “I have never heard so much rubbish in all my life.

“It’s a joke. I was born in Australia and they have kangaroo courts over there, but not like this one.”

He then shouted a swear word towards the magistrates as he left the court room.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court was told how Fleming became aggressive towards the Trent Barton driver on the morning of August 22, after he parked his bus close to the entrance of Fleming’s recycling company on Maun Valley Industrial Estate.

Fleming had got ‘nose-to-nose’ with terrified driver Slawomir Kossobudzki, who had been busy going through routine checks on his vehicle outside the depot next door.

Fleming told him to move the bus claiming it was in his way, but Mr Kossobudzki said he would only be ‘five minutes’ and insisted he was not even blocking to the entrance to Fleming’s property.

At that point Fleming began swearing at him and calling him names linked to his nationality, telling him to go back to his own country.

He repeated the same line when Mr Kossobudzki’s supervisor came out to try to resolve the situation.

Fleming then parked two recycling cages from his company either end of the bus to prevent it from moving.

“I was scared, he was very aggressive and demanding,” said Mr Kossobudzki told the court.

“I asked him if he would be brave enough to say everything he had just said to the police and he said ‘yes, bring it on’.

“I was shaking and scared, he kept coming to my face and calling me names. I do not feel I deserved it.”

Fleming then became aggressive to a police officer who turned up, swearing, calling him names and saying Nottinghamshire Police were ‘corrupt’. He was subsequently arrested.

Representing himself, Fleming recalled insulting the officer, but claimed it was Mr Kossobudzki who had been the initial aggressor after asking him several times if he would move his bus.

He denied a charge of using racially-aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Becoming agitated in the witness box he said: “I was perfectly polite, perfectly respectful and amenable. It got my back up, I was enraged and I admit I lost my temper.

“The reason why he turned this into a racial thing is because he was in the wrong and they’re trying to cover it up.”

But the magistrates did not accept his version of events, finding him guilty.

Reports are now due to be prepared and he will be sentenced this Friday, December 11.