A British man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for racially abusing and spitting at a Muslim bus driver, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Michael Mongan, 39, was convicted after a disturbing incident on August 7 in Hayes, where he unleashed a torrent of racist abuse against the driver. The confrontation began when Mongan’s payment card was declined, preventing him from boarding the bus.
In a video that went viral on social media, Mongan can be seen shouting “Muslim terrorist” and other offensive terms while aggressively banging on the driver’s protective screen and demanding that the driver exit the bus.
Mongan was identified and arrested on August 9. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that Mongan’s actions were part of a broader pattern of violence and disorder linked to recent far-right riots across the UK. These riots have targeted Muslims, minority groups, and immigrants, fueled by false online claims that the suspect in a tragic July 29 stabbing in Southport was a Muslim asylum seeker.
The stabbing incident, which resulted in the deaths of three children, initially stirred significant outrage and misinformation. Authorities later clarified that the attacker, Axel Rudakubana, is a 17-year-old born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, which did little to quell the unrest.
As of August 8, police have arrested 483 individuals and filed 149 charges related to the riots that have swept through various towns and cities in England.
The CPS emphasized that Mongan’s behavior reflects the recent surge in far-right extremism and violence, highlighting a troubling rise in racially motivated incidents in the UK.
