Man was racially abusive to a police officer in Cullybackey and pretended to order a 'half-and-half salted chilli chip and sweet and sour sauce'
A man was racially abusive to a police officer in Cullybackey and pretended to order a "half-and-half salted chilli chip and sweet and sour sauce".
Leon McAlonan (21), of Tobar Park, Cullybackey, admitted being disorderly in Cullybackey and resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty on May 9 last year.
On Thursday (February 26) Ballymena Magistrates Court was told the case was "aggravated by racial abuse".
A prosecutor said that on May 9 police spoke to the defendant at Main Street in Cullybackey and he ran off. He was detained a short time later when police "heard a rustling sound in bushes".
Whilst being arrested he became "highly abusive" and was shouting to an officer: "f**king ch**k, ch**k, you are a f**king ch**k".
When police were attempting to put him in their vehicle he tensed up and refused to get in. When in the vehicle he "pretended to order a half-and-half salted chilli chip and sweet and sour sauce".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "He thought he was being funny, is that it?"
The prosecutor said that the officer felt the behaviour "highly offensive as he believed it was an insult and mocking his Chinese racial background". The defendant had a record.
A defence barrister said that the behaviour was "reprehensible" and there was no excuse for it. He said police doing their public duty should not be subjected to "such vile abuse".
The lawyer said that the defendant apologised when interviewed and the defendant also apologised to the officer in person in court recently.
District Judge Broderick said the defendant's treatment of the officer was "reprehensible".
The District Judge told the defendant: "You perhaps thought you were being funny in the police car but far from it, you were abusive and I have no doubt that the officer would have been deeply hurt by the comments you made based on his nationality or your perception of that."
As an "alternative" to jail and to make him do "something more constructive than this behaviour," District Judge Broderick ordered the defendant to do 200 hours Community Service .