'Racist Woman on London Tube' ranting mother cleared of racially aggravated harassment
Accountant Claire Moloney tells court 'I'm not a racist', after YouTube clip of swear-filled tirade went viral
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A woman who was caught in a YouTube clip telling an Asian man to “f*** off to your own country” in a drunken rant on the London tube has been cleared of racially aggravated harassment.
Claire Moloney, a mother of two and accountant from Dagenham, was filmed by another passenger during the angry tirade against an unidentified man, in which she stands up and approaches him, yelling.
The incident happened in October 2010, but neither witnesses nor the man involved reported the incident and it only came to the attention of police in April this year, when the video went viral under the title “Racist Woman in London tube”.
Ms Moloney can be heard shouting: “I f****** respect people in their countries, f*** you c***.
“You come in this country, you want to f****** have everything on a plate… F*** off to your own country if your country is so good, you c***.”
Prosecutors at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where the jury was shown the video, said: “It is not a crime merely to swear in public, the words and behaviour must also cause the other person harassment, alarm or distress. Quite clearly these words would cause harassment, alarm or distress.
“This incident was racially motivated and was to put to him because of his membership of a particular racial group.”
Ms Moloney said: “I’m not a racist. I agree the language was horrific, I’m mortified.
“He said something about blood on my hands for invading his country. He took offence to me wearing a poppy. It was against women in general and he definitely used the word ‘slag’.
“I was drunk. He was insulting me and my country. I lost it. I felt threatened, I was on my own, I was the only woman in the carriage and I wanted to come across like I wasn’t scared.”
Nearly three years after the incident itself, a jury found Ms Moloney not guilty of racially aggravated harassment.
Police were unable to trace either the alleged victim or anyone else who was on the train at the time.
Video of the foul-mouthed tirade: