A drunk man has been convicted and ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge after he hurled antisemitic insults in the street of Derby after last year’s Paris terrorist attacks.
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how David Gregory, 46, of Gerard Street, Derby, had been angered by the terrorist attacks in Paris and went out drinking the following day. He was walking down Etwall Road in Derby at about 16:30 on 14th November 2015 when he saw a man jogging towards him. Gregory launched a string of obscene, racist insults at the man, who ran away and called police.
Lynne Bickley, prosecuting, said: “He thought the things he was saying weren’t nice things to hear and the last salute he had in his hand was in the shape of a fist. Police saw him standing on the pavement swaying, believed to be drunk. He said the female police officers looked young enough to be his daughters.”
Mrs Bickley said he then made numerous antisemitic comments and other remarks about people with dark skin.
After Gregory’s arrest for racially aggravated aggressive behaviour, he continued to make offensive remarks in the back of the police car, officers said.
Jaz Soodi, in mitigation, said Gregory had apologised for his outbursts and was embarrassed by his actions, which he could not remember. “He basically told the police what he told me – he couldn’t believe he had done it,” Mr Soodi said. “He was angry about what had happened in Paris. His partner had phoned police and said he was annoyed by it.”
Suicide bombers and gunmen killed 130 people during the attacks in the French capital on 13th November 2015.
