Marquess of Blandford arrested for racially abusing Sikh taxi driver

12 April 2012

His court appearances for a string of driving offences have been steadily mounting.

Now it seems that even getting to court is causing problems for the troubled Marquess of Blandford.

He is facing more hot water after being accused of racially abusing a Sikh taxi driver who had driven to collect him for an appearance at Coventry Crown Court.

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Blandford arrested for racial abuse, days after he was in court for motoring offences

The revelation comes just days after the wayward aristocrat faced Oxford Crown Court for an unprovoked road rage attack.

It was in July that driver Davinder Singh responded to a booking to take Charles James Spencer-Churchill, known as Jamie Blandford, to the West Midlands for a morning appearance on a different driving matter.

The 51-year-old peer, son of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, called for a cab to pick him up from his farm home, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, to take him to Coventry.

Mr Singh, 46, said his problems began when he rang to check the exact location of the rural residence. He claims they escalated when he arrived and was greeted by a torrent of abuse. Blandford never made it to court that day.

The shocked driver contacted police and Blandford was arrested and questioned on suspicious of racially-aggravated behaviour the following day.

Last night Mr Singh told how he had been 'paralysed' with shock by the incident.

"It was just unbelievable," said the father-of-four. "I can put up with rudeness but not racism. There is just no excuse for it.

"I was having trouble finding his house so I called him and he said 'Why are you f***ing ringing me? You are the taxi driver you should know where you are f***ing going'."

The driver claimed that when he arrived he was greeted by even more derogatory racial remark and called a Hindu.

"He said I should remember I was a guest in this country and I replied that I was British," said Mr Singh.

"He looked me up and down and said 'You? British?'.

"I was just completely shocked."

Mr Singh, who has been a taxi driver for almost 25 years, said it was then that he turned down the £120 fare and drove off.

"I would not take it," he explained. "Even if it was the Prime Minister I would not take him if he spoke to me like that.

"He told me I would never work for the company again. It was like he was saying he could do anything because he was rich and I was poor.

"When I saw the Marquess of Blandford on the order I was thinking he would be a polite gentleman but he is just a racist and there is no excuse for that."

The angry cabbie said: "I am going to press charges against him, definitely. I am not going to let this go away."

He plans to launch a claim for damages in the civil courts once the police have completed their criminal investigation.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police confirmed that they had arrested a man following a report from Mr Singh.

"On July 20, a man was arrested for racially aggravated public order and bailed pending further investigations," he said.

Blandford's solicitor refused to comment on the allegations whilst the police inquiry was on-going.

"We have not had an opportunity to hear the details of the allegations or to answer any allegations and would not choose to do so through the press," he said.

It was on Monday that Blandford, whose ancestral home is the Blenheim Palace estate, in Oxfordshire, appeared before Oxford Crown Court.

The court heard how he turned on a motorist screaming abuse and kicking his door in a unprovoked road rage attack.

He admitted criminal damage, dangerous and careless driving on two separate occasions.

The peer, a father-of-two with a long history of drug abuse who is currently being treated at The Priory, looked weary as details of the incident were read out.

His appearance followed an earlier trial in Coventry - for which he had called a taxi - where he was convicted of dangerous driving for speeding and cutting up a policeman on the M42.

He was bailed to reappear for sentencing in September.

The peer has frequently flirted with controversy and was largely disinherited by his father who disapproved of his exuberant way of living.

Mr Singh said: "I don't know what people think of him but this man should not be out and about.

"The way he spoke to me he thought he was above the law - it is about time the law does something about him."

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