Man abusive to Iraqi

JOSHUA Green, who hurled racial abuse at an Iraqi man, must now stay out of trouble for 12 months.Green, 25, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on August 2 last year.

A MAN who hurled racial abuse at an Iraqi has been told he must stay out of trouble for 12 months.

Joshua Green, 25, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on August 2 last year.

Godfried Duah, prosecuting, told South East Suffolk Magistrates Court that Green verbally abused an Iraqi man.

Mr Duah said Green asked the man why he was in this country, then spoke some obscene words about his race.

Craig Marchant, mitigating, told the court there had been an organised curry evening at the YMCA that day.

Mr Marchant said: "From the window Green saw a number of Iraqi or Turkish-looking males attacking somebody.

"The situation was one of confusion. They were faced with a crowd of Iraqi men.

"One of them had a knife, possibly a dagger, being brought down to Mr Green's throat.

"The only thing he could do was run. He ran down Wellington Street. Shortly afterwards he started to walk back and he met an Iraqi male.

"An Iraqi male was frankly the last thing he wanted to see.

"He accepts he was abusive.

"Mr Green did not know that the man he was talking to had previously been attacked by a white male and had helped someone British.

"His behaviour was completely out of character in circumstances that would have tested most people. He stopped of his own accord."

Chairwoman of the bench Anne Parry said: "We consider this an unpleasant incident - verbally abusing someone in a racial way.

"But we note the mitigating circumstances. You were leaving the place before the police got there and pleaded guilty on the earliest occasion."

Green received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £70 costs.