Champion Petrolhead "Fuming" Over Race Conviction

"Fuming": Spence outside court

Champion racing driver Jamie Spence called a turban-wearing Heathrow Airport parking attendant a “Paki”, after trying to drag him over to see £700 worth of damage to his Range Rover, a court heard.

The 48 year-old former British
Formula Ford and Formula Three champion was enraged after seeing damage to the wing mirror and alloy wheels of the vehicle after a family holiday in Spain.

Spence, of Coptfold Hall Farm, Ingatestone, Essex, was convicted last Thursday of the racially-aggravated assault of Tarvinder Singh Ahluwalia at the Terminal Five car park on September 4, last year.

“He heard Mr Spence call him a Paki and made a 999 call and was clear in that call he was called a Paki,” announced Ealing Magistrate Subash Ludhra.

“You got it totally wrong,” visibly upset Spence told the magistrate before he was a fined £290, with £620 costs and ordered to pay £50 compensation to Mr Ahluwalia, plus a £34 victim surcharge.

“You’ve got someone who doesn’t even speak English who only understands one word. I’m fuming,” said Spence while the magistrates were considering their sentence. 

Spence had returned from a two-week holiday with partner Chantelle McGelligan and their young child and collected the black Range Rover from the airport’s ‘Meet & Greet’ parking service.

“Basically I noticed the wing mirror had damage on it and two of the wheels had been curbed,” he told the trial. “I then asked the complainant if he could acknowledge there was damage before I left.

“He was a little abrupt and said: ‘Ring the office. It has got nothing to do with me.’

Damage: Spence's Range Rover

“I did grab him by the arm, but not very tightly and asked him to come and acknowledge there was damage.”

Spence admitted swearing at Mr Ahluwalia, but insisted he did not use the racial slur.

“I turned around and walked off and called him a: ‘F***ing p****.’

“There was seven hundred pounds of damage and I was a little bit annoyed. I do work hard for what I have got, but I definitely did not attack him, hit his arm or pull his arm.

“It is disappointing when you give your car to a company. They have basically said they are not paying for it.

“I asked him three times and did hold his arm to guide him towards the car,” explained Spence. “He changed his story from me running and hitting his hand to grabbing his arm.

“His story has elaborated and grown more and more. I’m not racist.”

However, Mr Ahluwalia, who had a Punjabi interpreter when giving evidence, told the court: “He checked the car and said there was some scratch on the car.

“He came back to me and pulled my hands with a lot of force and I told him to leave me and take a picture of the scratch and send it in.

“He did not leave me, he was pulling me and I told him to leave me alone because there was a camera there and witnesses.

“He did not hit me, he  pulled me,” added Mr Ahluwalia, denying he exaggerated the incident.

“He told me: ‘You Paki.’ I think he thought I was a muslim.

“This happened for the first time in my life. It made me feel very, very bad.”

Spence’s partner Chantelle, who had waited by the Range Rover, did not see any physical contact, but told the trial she heard her fiancé’s words.

“I noticed the wheels and wing mirror was damaged and I could hear Jamie swearing a little bit.

“I heard him swearing, I think he said ‘twat’. He was obviously upset there was damage to the car.”

Prosecutor Beata Murphy told the trial it was 4.45pm on a Saturday when Spence collected his vehicle. “The complainant told him to contact the manager on Monday.

“The defendant took hold of the complainant’s right arm and demanded he looked at the damage to the vehicle, but he could not leave his desk, where he kept all the other customers car keys.

“The defendant walked away with a female and a child and the word ‘Paki’ was heard and the complainant called 999 and reported it to the police straight away.”

Spence’s lawyer Natalie De-Merist told the court: “The defendant has a personality disorder and has difficulty regulating his emotions.

“When he gave evidence he said that he was sorry he grabbed and swore at Mr Ahluwalia in the first place.”

When the magistrates retired to consider their sentence an obviously angry Spence told Ms Murphy: “You’ve done me.”

He added: “This world is so bad. Everybody is out to shaft everybody else. Take, take, take. 

The magistrates heard Spence has previous convictions for threatening behaviour; assault and obstructing police.

“The prosecution have proved their case,” announced Mr Ludhra. “The assault was racially-aggravated.”