A high-flying City of London oil broker has been hit with a significant fine after unleashing a torrent of racist abuse during a road rage confrontation near her luxury south-west London apartment.
Road Rage Erupts at Wandsworth Roundabout
The incident occurred on June 23 on York Road, Wandsworth, as traffic approached the busy Wandsworth roundabout. The court heard that the victim, Carlos Wilson, used a bus lane to pass a line of stationary vehicles, which included the car driven by Letizia Bonuglia, 45.
Prosecutor Nathan Fuller explained that when the cars stopped at traffic lights, a disagreement broke out between the two drivers. "He said he was allowed to drive down the inside and she called the victim a 'f***ing n*****'", Mr Fuller told Wimbledon Magistrates' Court. When Mr Wilson challenged her, asking if that was what she had said, Bonuglia repeated the racial slur: "Yes. You're a n*****."
Dash Cam Evidence Leads to Guilty Plea
The entire exchange was captured on the victim's dashboard camera, providing undeniable evidence. Both parties called the police to the scene, where officers found Bonuglia, who lives in a £900,000 apartment block near Battersea Park, to be "distressed and crying." She falsely claimed the other driver had tried to crash into her.
Bonuglia, a gasoline broker who works in the heart of the Square Mile specialising in the Mediterranean market, was subsequently arrested and charged. She later pleaded guilty to one count of racially aggravated harassment.
Court Imposes Uplifted Fine for Racial Element
Bench Chairman Gilles Casse described the incident as "a form of road rage and a ten to thirty second burst of anger." Addressing Bonuglia, a graduate of Sapienza University in Rome, he stated the bench would be "uplifting the fine due to the racial element."
Taking her guilty plea and her earnings into account, the magistrates ordered Bonuglia to pay:
- A fine of £2,800
- Costs of £85
- A victim surcharge of £1,120
The total financial penalty amounts to £4,005.
