Sunderland man back in court after verbal '˜rant' against woman

Sakkir Choudhury, 30, launched a verbal tirade against the woman during a bizarre rant on the bus travelling from Houghton to Sunderland on October 19, Sunderland magistrates heard.

“The complainant was travelling on a bus from Houghton to Sunderland at 1.20pm,” prosecutor David Maddison said.

“Also on the bus was Mr Choudhury. He was talking loudly on the bus, making various comments about benefits and people claiming benefits.”

One of his fellow passengers, a female, attracted his attention, the court heard.

Mr Maddison said Choudhury then “went on a rant” insulting the woman.

“Other witnesses on the bus described her looking like she was in shock,” he added.

“She was shocked and upset when she got off the bus and was crying.”

The incident was caught on CCTV, the court was told, and Choudhury was soon arrested.

In a statement, the woman said: “I was really frightened by what happened on a public bus in the middle of the day. He had no reason for picking on me at all.”

Choudhury, of Beechwood Street, Thornhill, admitted using threatening behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress

Tom Morgan, defending, said: “Mr Choudhury and I discussed this behaviour and he told me this is something he witnessed in a video on Youtube.

“He suffers with significant mental health problems. He has a personality disorder, ADHD and autism and there are times when this can manifest itself in rather unusual ways.

“Mr Choudhury assures me he doesn’t hold any negative views whatsoever and that he doesn’t harbour any negative views towards women. He is receiving some treatment for his behaviour.

“I recall his last time before the court and there was some effort to secure some court ordered treatment for him. That was not available and Mr Choudhury went to prison. He is engaging with the Probation Service.

A tearful Choudhury told the court: “I feel like the world is against me. I want to the world to leave me alone. Please, I have nobody looking after me, I’ve been let down by the system. I’m not perfect.

“My landlord gave me the flat. I’m doing really well I don’t want to go to prison, but there’s nobody helping me.”

He was sentenced to a six-month conditional discharge and was told to pay £85 costs and a £15 surcharge.

Bench chairman John Price told him: “You keep yourself out of any other trouble for the next six months and you will hear no more about this.”

He was last before the court on July 22, for sending a malicious communication. He had made chilling death treats over the phone to a woman in Devon and was jailed for four months.

That was his forty-third such conviction for making nuisance and threatening calls, dating back to 2001.

He has convictions from courts in Surrey, Luton, south east Hampshire, Bedfordshire, Rotherham and Gateshead.