A drunken surveyor smashed up a complete stranger's car during a racist expletive-laden rampage after her victim refused her demands for a 10-mile lift home following a birthday party. Charlotte Murphy-Griffiths, 28, called Bhrat Gandham a ''stupid P*ki bastard'' and added: ''Fight me!'' after he brushed her aside whilst he and his partner were depositing old clothes at a charity bin.
As Mr Gandham and girlfriend Monica Ummidi looked on in fear, Murphy-Griffiths began kicking the vehicle, causing an estimated £1,500 worth of damage. She also racially abused Ms Ummidi during her rant. When police were called to the scene to arrest Murphy-Griffiths, she began banging her head on the glass of their patrol car. Officers attempted to restrain her but she had to be handcuffed when she kicked out and tried to bite one of them.
Background of the Incident
The Catholic school-educated quantity surveyor, who lives in St Gabriel's Close in Leigh, Greater Manchester, and works for a firm of civil engineers in Lancashire, was described as being ''heavily intoxicated, slurring her speech and having glazed eyes'' during the incident. The incident occurred at 7.45pm on March 28, 2026, after Murphy-Griffiths had attended a friend's 40th birthday celebrations in Warrington town centre, more than 10 miles from her home.
In a statement, Mr Gandham, a welding inspector who moved to the UK in 2021 from his former home in the Indian city of Kakinada, said he was ''disgusted'' by Murphy-Griffiths' behaviour and added: ''I thought this sort of racial discrimination had long since died out of English culture.''
Court Proceedings
At Warrington Magistrates' Court, Murphy-Griffiths, who has a five-year-old daughter, admitted racially aggravated criminal damage and assaulting a police constable. She was fined £2,160, plus £949 in costs and a surcharge. She was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to Mr Gandham and £150 in damages to one of the officers who arrested her.
Nathan Cooper, prosecuting, said: ''Bhrat Gandham and his partner Monica Ummidi were in the process of dropping clothes off for charity on Jockey Street in the town when the defendant approached them asking for a lift to take her to Leigh. She asked whether she could sit in Mr Gandham’s car but the complainants both refused on the basis that they did not feel comfortable letting a complete stranger into their vehicle. At this point the defendant became aggressive and started shouting and swearing and the complainant stepped out of the car in order to help his partner as the defendant called Ms Ummidi a P*ki bastard. As the defendant started to kick the car Mr Gandham asked her to stop kicking the car at which point she shouted, 'You stupid P*ki bastard' and made a further 'stupid P*ki' comment and asked him in her own words to ‘fight me’.''
Impact on Victims
Mr Cooper added: ''Serious distress caused to Mr Gandham and Ms Ummidi. Both received significant racial abuse from the defendant, completely unwarranted and unacceptable. Mr Gandham states that he was disgusted by this behaviour and that he thought this sort of racial discrimination had long since died out of English culture. He said there was a substantial amount of damage to the car which caused him considerable stress and worry as he has other financial commitments and is concerned about the cost of living crisis. Ms Ummidi was particularly afraid and felt the defendant was being disrespectful on the basis of her race. The offences are aggravated due to the defendant being in drink at the time.''
Police attended the scene and the defendant was arrested but she was observed hitting her head on the inside of the glass in the back of the patrol car. Concerned that she would injure herself or damage the vehicle, one of the officers made the decision she should be removed from the vehicle for her own safety. But as he opened the door she leaned back across the back seat and proceeded to put up resistance. She had to be pulled and placed on the floor outside the vehicle and was on her back with her legs still in the car. At that point she became extremely verbally aggressive, trying to wriggle free and move herself away. She was described as being heavily intoxicated, slurring her speech and having glazed eyes. She is said to have leaned forward in an attempt to bite the hand of one of the officers; however, he was able to move his hand out of the way quickly so that she missed. She was also kicking out and one kick made contact with the officer's right arm. He immediately felt a small amount of pain as the foot made contact. There was no further injury.
Defendant's Background and Remorse
Murphy-Griffiths had no previous convictions. Her solicitor Mo Patel said: ''She was out celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday and came to Warrington to have a night out. This resulted in her drinking and the alcohol affected her. She cannot recall anything that happened that day other than waking up in a police van but she accepts using the racial comments and the assault on the police who tried to arrest her. She is a quantity surveyor and has been working in that field for the last four years. She has never previously been in trouble with the police, never been cautioned or arrested. She tells me that five years ago she was in an abusive relationship which resulted in depression and PTSD which resulted in her leaving her partner five years ago. She was intoxicated at the time of the offence and is remorseful. She has written two letters of apology to both the complainants and the police officer.''
