Jacqueline Woodhouse: Breaking Laws And Consequences

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse was jailed for 21 weeks for hurling racist abuse at fellow passengers on the London Underground. Woodhouse, who was 42 at the time, admitted to causing racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress to the man who filmed her, Galbant Juttla. A seven-minute video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube and viewed more than 200,000 times, leading to Woodhouse's arrest and subsequent sentencing.

Racially aggravated intentional harassment

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse pleaded guilty to causing alarm and distress after directing an expletive-ridden racist rant at her fellow passengers on the London Underground. Woodhouse admitted to hurling racist abuse at her fellow passengers, asking them about their origins and accusing them of being illegal immigrants.

In the context of this case, the Racially Aggravated Intentional Harassment law is relevant. This law is covered under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, specifically Sections 28 to 32, which create separate offences for crimes that are aggravated by the victim's race, religion, or presumed race or religion.

Section 31(1)(b) of the Act creates the distinct offence of "racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress." This offence carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment and/or a fine upon conviction on indictment. The offence is triable either way, meaning it can be heard in both the Crown Court and the magistrates' court.

The elements of this offence include:

• The offender intentionally harassed, alarmed, or distressed the victim(s).
• The offence was racially or religiously aggravated, meaning it was motivated by or demonstrated hostility based on the victim's race, religion, or presumed race or religion.

In the case of Jacqueline Woodhouse, her actions caused alarm and distress to Galbant Juttla, the man who filmed the incident. The racial aggravation was evident in her abusive comments and questions about her fellow passengers' origins, accusing them of being illegal immigrants.

The sentencing guidelines for racially or religiously aggravated offences are provided by the Sentencing Council. The sentence for this offence can be up to two years' custody upon conviction on indictment. The sentence will depend on the level of racial or religious aggravation involved, which can be high, medium, or low.

In summary, Jacqueline Woodhouse's actions fell under the Racially Aggravated Intentional Harassment law, and her offence caused alarm and distress to her fellow passenger, with her comments being motivated by racial hostility. The sentencing for such an offence can be up to two years' imprisonment, depending on the specific circumstances and the level of aggravation involved.

Racially aggravated common assault

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse was fined for hurling racist abuse at fellow passengers while travelling on the London Underground. Woodhouse, who appeared drunk, directed an expletive-ridden rant at her fellow passengers, asking them about their origins and accusing them of being illegal immigrants. She also threatened to punch a Pakistani man sitting next to her after he began singing his national anthem.

Woodhouse pleaded guilty to causing alarm and distress. Racially aggravated common assault is a type of common assault that is considered more severe and carries a heavier penalty.

Racially or Religiously Aggravated Common Assault

Racially or religiously aggravated common assault is a specified offence that falls under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, s.1, Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s.29, and Criminal Justice Act 1988, s.39. The maximum sentence for this type of offence is two years' custody. The offence range is discharge to 26 weeks' custody. The court determines the offence category by assessing the culpability and harm involved.

Culpability

The level of culpability is determined by considering various factors, including:

• Intention to cause fear of serious harm, including disease transmission
• Victim vulnerability due to age, personal characteristics, or circumstances
• Prolonged or persistent assault
• Use of substantial force
• Strangulation, suffocation, or asphyxiation
• Threatened or actual use of a weapon or weapon equivalent
• Leading role in group activity

Harm

The level of harm is assessed by considering:

• The number of injuries
• Severity of injury and pain suffered
• Duration or longevity of any psychological harm or distress caused

Aggravated Offences

After determining the category of the basic offence, the court considers the level of racial or religious aggravation to apply an appropriate uplift to the sentence. The following factors are considered to determine the level of aggravation:

• Racial or religious aggravation was the predominant motivation for the offence.
• The offender was associated with a group promoting hostility based on race or religion.
• The aggravated nature of the offence caused severe distress to the victim or their family beyond what was considered in the basic offence.
• The aggravated nature of the offence caused serious fear and distress throughout the local community or more widely.

Causing alarm and distress

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse pleaded guilty to causing alarm and distress after a racist rant on the London Underground. The incident, which took place between St Paul's and Mile End stations on the Central Line, was filmed and later uploaded to YouTube. In the video, Woodhouse can be seen directing expletive-ridden abuse at her fellow passengers, asking them where they were from and accusing them of being illegal immigrants. When one passenger, Galbant Juttla, began filming her, Woodhouse leaned into the camera and said, "Oh look he's filming, hello. Hello government. Why don't you tell me where you're from?"

The offence of causing alarm and distress carries a maximum penalty of a Level 3 fine (currently £1000) or up to 6 months' imprisonment, or both. The offence can also be aggravated by racial or religious hostility, which can increase the severity of the sentence.

In the case of Jacqueline Woodhouse, the court heard that she had consumed an unknown quantity of champagne before the incident and that she had a previous similar offence in 2008. Woodhouse was fined for her actions, although the amount of the fine is not publicly known.

Causing racially aggravated harassment

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse was charged with causing racially aggravated harassment under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Act defines "racial group" as a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins. Racially aggravated harassment is further defined as pursuing a racially aggravated course of conduct that amounts to the harassment of a person. This can be established if the offender demonstrates malice and ill-will towards the victim based on their membership or presumed membership of a racial group.

In the case of Jacqueline Woodhouse, she was filmed directing an expletive-ridden rant at her fellow passengers on the London Underground. In the video, she is seen asking passengers, "Where do you come from?" and accusing them of being illegal immigrants. Woodhouse also threatened to punch a Pakistani man sitting next to her after he began singing his national anthem. Her behaviour caused alarm and distress to Galbant Juttla, the man who filmed the incident, who eventually pulled the emergency alarm.

Racially aggravated harassment is a serious offence and can result in enhanced sentencing. The specific offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 carry higher maximum penalties than the basic offence equivalents, and some become either-way offences in the aggravated form. This means that the court has the power to impose more severe sentences and has a duty to treat the offence more seriously when considering the sentence.

Admitting to racist abuse

In 2012, Jacqueline Woodhouse admitted to hurling racist abuse at her fellow passengers on the London Underground. Woodhouse, 42, from Romford, Essex, admitted to causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm, and distress to Galbant Juttla, the man who filmed her.

A seven-minute video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube and has since been viewed more than 200,000 times. The video shows Woodhouse swearing at her fellow passengers, asking them, "Where do you come from?" in an expletive-ridden rant. She then turns to Mr. Juttla, who was filming the incident, and says, "Oh look he's filming, hello. Hello government. Why don't you tell me where you're from?" Mr. Juttla replies, "I am British."

The incident took place on the Central Line between St. Paul's and Mile End stations on January 23. Woodhouse had attended a retirement party before getting on the Tube at 11 pm, where she drank an "unknown" quantity of champagne. She told the police and the court that she could not remember the incident but recognized herself in the video.

Woodhouse's racist outburst was condemned by District Judge Michael Snow, who said that anyone viewing the video would feel a deep sense of shame and that her "grossly offensive" language reflected her hostility towards her fellow passengers. He also noted that the train was packed with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including children.

As a result of her actions, Woodhouse was sentenced to 21 weeks in prison and given a five-year Asbo (Anti-Social Behaviour Order). The judge also imposed an order banning her from using the Tube and the Docklands Light Railway while drunk for a five-year period.

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