TEENAGER Samuel Pearce was today starting eight months in custody after butting a Turkish kebab shop owner in a racist attack.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday the 19-year-old was drunk as he spent November 28 last year drowning his sorrows after being expelled fromcollege for having sex on a bus.
Prosecutor Paul Spratt said at 8.30pm Pearce entered the takeaway in Victoria Road, Fenton, and began pestering two female customers.
“He was drunk and carrying a bottle,” said Mr Spratt.
“He said to the two girls ‘Come on, I want to be with you’. His attentions were unwanted and the proprietor Ahmed Bami indicated he should desist.”
The court heard Pearce replied by shouting racial abuse and said: “This is my country.”
Mr Spratt said: “He called Mr Bami numerous racial names and said ‘ring thepolice. I am not scared of them’.
“He then threw a cigarette over the counter.”
Pearce was asked to leave but he began insulting other customers.
“He butted Mr Bami as he tried to eject him from the shop,” said Mr Spratt.
“He tried to punch another staff member, but his punch did not connect.
“He then raised a bottle over his head but did not use it.”
Pearce was made to leave the takeaway after a struggle. He continued with the racial abuse and made threats to Mr Bami when the police arrived.
Mr Bami was left with a bloody nose and a cut to the inside of his lip.
Pearce, of Eastbourne Road, Northwood, told police: “He tried to grab me so I head-butted him. What would you do?”
He pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The assault happened while Pearce, who has several previous convictions for offences of violence, was subject to a 12-month community order for offences of battery and criminal damage.
Jason Holt, defending, conceded custody would be at the forefront of the court‘s mind, but asked for Pearce, who hopes to work in zoology, to be given a suspended sentence with supervision.
Mr Hold said: “He had lost his college placement on the day. His world had ended.
“He was involved in a very passionate romantic liaison on the college bus.
“The intercourse with a female was consensual. He and the female were expelled for bringing the college into disrepute. He was drowning his sorrows and got extremely drunk.”
Mr Holt added that Pearce’s remorse was genuine.
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced Pearce to seven months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution for the racially aggravated assault. He revoked the community order and ordered the defendant to serve a further month for the battery and criminal damage offences.
The judge said: “This was a serious instance of you acting like a thug.”
Source: www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk, May 22, 2009
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