Slough commuter accused of hitting and racially abusing security guard

A commuter stands trial accused of hitting and racially abusing a security guard when she was asked to show her ticket at Slough Railway Station.

Brandon Thompson gave evidence at Reading Crown Court this morning (Morning) during the trial of Rajveer Sandhu, who has denied one count of racially or religiously aggravated common assault and one count of assault by beating.

Mr Thompson, who was working for security company G4S at the time, was assisting ticket inspectors at the station to help staff cope during the evening rush hour on February 12, 2015.

A ‘ticket block’ was set up on a bridge across two platforms and passengers were asked to show their tickets to Great Western Railway staff.

He has claimed at about 6pm, Sandhu, 25, of St Pauls Avenue, Slough, hit him and called him a ‘dirty black b******’ and ‘monkey’ after he asked her to show her train ticket to inspectors.

However, Sandhu has claimed Mr Thompson ‘grabbed her hair’.

Jonah Walker-Smith, defending, told the court how in 2007 Mr Thompson was given a caution by police for a similar offence involving his ex-girlfriend.

Mr Thompson denied that he grabbed his ex-girlfriend’s hair when he visited the tanning salon where she worked and shouted at her.

The defence said: “The reality is that you were aggressive, verbally and physically, to my client and behaving like a bully.

“You are a bully and a liar.”

The jury also heard evidence from commuter Catriona Northy, who was walking past when the alleged incident took place.

Ms Northy told the court Mr Thompson spoke to Sandhu in a ‘polite’ and ‘non-threatening’ manner.

She also said she recalled seeing Sandhu after the incident and said she was ‘screaming’ at someone across the ticket barriers.

When asked if she remembered what Sandhu was shouting, Ms Northy said it was along the lines of: “You f****** b******, I am going to call the f****** police on you.”

The trial continues.