Matt Hancock’s former assistant attacked a taxi driver and used racial slurs, court hears

A former adviser to Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock attacked a taxi driver and used racial abuse after a drunken night out in Soho, a court has heard.

Damon Poole, 31, who was Johnson’s head of broadcasting and worked with Hancock during Covid, attacked Riyadh Islam on May 17, 2024, in Shaftesbury Avenue, London.

Despite pleading guilty to racially aggravated assault, Poole insists he is not a racist and claims he drank so much alcohol he has no memory of the incident.

The Telegraph previously reported that Poole claimed he had managed to persuade the BBC to make an article critical of then health secretary Hancock less prominent on its website.

Messages contained in the Blocking Files show that in April 2021 Poole told an MP he had forced the broadcaster to relegate the story to a less prominent location and was trying to prevent it from appearing on BBC News at One.

The exchange of the negative article took place on WhatsApp in the same week that the BBC published an article about Hancock’s stake in a firm that won £300,000 in NHS contracts.

Wearing a dark blue suit and glasses, Poole appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced.

“Stressful day at work”

The consultant, who recently quit his job in public relations, said he had had a “very stressful day at work” before he attacked Islam after a party.

He was not given a community order but instead ordered to pay a fine of £1,172 after entering an early guilty plea and showing remorse.

The probation officer who interviewed Poole told the court: “He found it quite difficult to come to terms with what had happened.”

They added: “He told me that on the day in question it was another very busy day at work, it seemed like busy days had been running into each other for several years.”

The court heard that after work Poole went with colleagues to a bar near London Bridge for a “couple of pints”.

They then headed to Soho, where the group had lunch and “drank too much alcohol.”

He claimed that while eating he felt “almost melancholy” and drank “a bottle of wine.”

The probation officer stated that after eating, “everything gets very blurry” and Poole stated that he had no memory of the incident.

“A significant amount of money”

A probation officer said Poole denies being racist or homophobic.

He added: “He was asked about his views on different cultures in the UK – he very emphatically told me that this is what makes the UK such a great place.

“I don’t believe he’s racist; I don’t believe he’s homophobic.”

The court heard Poole now works as a director of a public relations consultancy firm and earns a “significant amount of money”.

Magistrates were told there was “violence” in the incident, with an “arm outstretched against this taxi driver”.

“Mr Poole accepts that a taxi driver or anyone else should not be subjected to this type of behavior from anyone – it is completely unacceptable,” the probation officer said.

Magistrate Dr. Lynn Gailey accepted the probation recommendations, telling Poole: “It’s quite unusual to go outside the rules; in this case we are going to go beyond the guidelines.”

Dr Gailey said Poole was fined and given no community order due to “dealing with the police” but the fine was increased “due to the racial upsurge”.

The public relations consultant was fined a total of £1,172 after receiving full credit for his early guilty plea.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £469 and court costs of £85, as well as £100 compensation to his victim Mr Islam.

Mr Poole has been contacted for comment.

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