Woman sentenced over racist rant on Adelaide bus was angry victim 'hadn't paid fare'

An Adelaide woman has admitted to a racist rant on a bus and has been sentenced to 200 hours community service work.

Stacey Marie Thomason pleaded guilty to an abusive language charge in Adelaide Magistrates Court over the verbal attack on a woman and her young child. Source: AAP

A woman who went on a racist rant on an Adelaide bus engaged in behaviour that "cannot be condoned in a civilised society", a court has heard.

Stacey Marie Thomason pleaded guilty to an abusive language charge in Adelaide Magistrates Court over the verbal attack on a woman and her young child on a bus in November last year.

In sentencing Thomason to 200 hours of community service work on Monday, Magistrate David McLeod said the 31-year-old had directed a racial slur at an Asian woman and had also called her a "f*****g c***" in front of other passengers.

Stacey Thomason is seen outside the Magistrates Court in Adelaide, Monday, July 31, 2017. Source: AAP

Mr McLeod said the incident caused significant concern and embarrassment to those other passengers as well as the victim of the tirade.

"It cannot be condoned as appropriate behaviour in a civilised society," he said.

The court heard the incident was the result of Thomason being drunk at the time and her anger over the Asian woman not paying when she boarded the bus with her child.

Almost immediately Thomason yelled at her "you're not Australians".

But defence counsel told the court that she was distraught and deeply sorry for her behaviour.

On the day in question, she had been returning from Kadina where she had gone to visit her three children who had been taken from her as a consequence of her being unable to properly protect them from her abusive partner.

Stacey Thomason is seen outside the Magistrates Court in Adelaide, Monday, July 31. Source: AAP