A man whose vile abuse of a bus driver was widely shared on social media has been jailed

A man whose vile abuse of a bus driver was widely shared on social media has been jailed.

Michael Mongan, 39, unleashed a tirade of religiously-aggravated abuse and spat at the driver after being denied entry when his payment card was declined.

The incident, which took place on August 7 in Hayes, saw Mongan spit at the bus driver's cab several times while shouting Islamophobic comments and other threats.

Mongan was quickly identified following release of the video and officers with the Metropolitan Police arrested him on 9 August at his home in Ealing.

It was noted the defendant had dyed his hair following the incident, believed to be an attempt to alter his appearance.

Prosecutors with CPS Direct – the Crown Prosecution Service’s out-of-hours charging service – authorised charges of religiously-aggravated harassment and criminal damage, to which Mongan pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 10 August. 

His actions have been connected to the recent scenes of disorder as police and prosecutors believe Mongan was emboldened in his actions by the incidents of violent unrest which unfolded across the country.

Mongan was already on bail for another racially aggravated criminal damage offence committed on 27 July at a bookmaker in Church Road, where he damaged the front of the building and racially abused members of staff.

He pleaded guilty to the same two offences at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on 29 July.

During sentencing, prosecutors read out a statement from Tell MAMA – which highlights incidences of Islamophobic abuse – to explain the profound impact Mongan’s actions had not only on the individual he aimed his vitriol at, but also the wider community.

Today, back at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, both cases were dealt with, and he was jailed for a total of ten months.

This came after prosecutors successfully applied for a hate crime sentencing uplift, meaning the sentence was uplifted from a high level Community Order to a custodial sentence.

Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS London North, said: “Mongan’s disgusting racism shocked our community and the thousands who saw it played out online.

“After being denied travel because he could not pay the fare, Mongan hurled hateful abuse at a bus driver who was simply doing their job.

“His actions come at a time of unrest which has left many feeling unsafe to go about their daily lives. The fact Mongan was on bail for a similar offence shows he lacked any contrition or remorse.

“Such behaviour has no place in our communities, and we will continue to work closely with the police to identify offenders who will face the full force of the law.”