Man made 'racist slur' after being asked to pay extra for baggage at Belfast International Airport
A court was told a man made a "racist slur" after being asked to pay extra for baggage at Belfast International Airport.
Prabhjot Singh (36), with an address listed as Strand Road, which is in Derry/Londonderry, but who lives and works in Letterkenny according to a defence barrister, pleaded guilty to being disorderly at Belfast International Airport.
Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, was told that at 5.15pm on September 9 last year police attended Gate 10 to a report of a disorderly male.
He had been due to fly with easyJet to Faro but when told he would have to pay "extra baggage fees" he became argumentative and was swearing at staff and shouting at passers-by.
District Judge Nigel Broderick asked if the defendant had been "under the influence of anything" but a defence lawyer said the defendant doesn't drink.
The lawyer said a "disagreement arose over additional payments for baggage" and the defendant "became frustrated". He said the defendant "lives and works in Letterkenny".
The lawyer added: "He regrets his annoyance at the Gate. It was an incident in which he let anger get the best of him and he made unacceptable remarks."
The lawyer said it had been an "expensive turn of events" as the defendant was unable to fly that day and had to fly from Dublin the next day and his accommodation had been cancelled as he didn't arrive on the day in question.
Reading from statements in the case, the judge said: "There is a racist element to this." The exact comments made were not mentioned in court.
The defence lawyer said: "In relation to the racial element he did make the comments as outlined in the statement."
The lawyer said the defendant said that was "in reaction to one of the comments" made to him.
The lawyer said the defendant acknowledged his own comments were "completely unacceptable and inappropriate" but he "let his anger get the better of him".
The judge fined the defendant £250 and ordered him to pay £250 compensation "to the person he made the racist slur to".