A man who was racially abusive to a Suffolk bus driver after he was asked to stop drinking alcohol from a bottle has been jailed for 70 weeks.

Sentencing Robert Bradlaugh, who has 185 previous convictions, Judge John Devaux said: “This is the eighth or ninth occasion you have been before the court for offences which are racially aggravated.”

Bradlaugh allegedly told Andre Dixon-Pierre “go back to where you are from” and “someone from here could have had your job”, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The 63-year-old, of St George’s Street, Ipswich, denied racially aggravated assault by beating and was found not guilty by a jury.

But he was convicted of racially aggravated threatening words and behaviour, which he had also denied.

Following his conviction he admitted being in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed in March for an offence of racially aggravated fear of violence.

Joanne Eley, prosecuting, told the court Mr Dixon-Pierre had been employed by Galloway bus company and was driving a single-decker bus from Framlingham to Ipswich at around 4.15pm on April 10 this year.

Bradlaugh got on the bus in Framlingham and sat near the back.

During the journey Mr Dixon-Pierre notched Bradlaugh was drinking from a glass bottle and assuming it was alcohol he stopped the bus and asked the defendant to stop drinking or get off the bus.

Bradlaugh had allegedly started shouting at the driver and Mr Dixon-Pierre had stopped the bus outside the Cretingham Bell pub and once again told Bradlaugh he couldn’t drink in the bus, said Miss Eley.

Bradlaugh had then allegedly moved to the front of the bus towards the driver started shouting and swearing at him using racist language and prodding and poking him.

Bradlaugh had returned to the back of the bus and Mr Dixon-Pierre and a female passenger had got off the vehicle and Mr Dixon-Pierre contacted his manager for advice.

The police were called and Bradlaugh had got off the bus and allegedly continued shouting racist abuse at Mr Dixon-Pierre including saying: “Why don’t you go back from where you are from” and “someone from here could have had your job”, said Miss Eley.

A police officer arrived and arrested Bradlaugh and handcuffed him because of his intoxicated state.

Giving evidence, Bradlaugh denied being racially abusive to the driver.