Racial abuse hurled at waiters in Hereford restaurant (From Hereford Times)

Racial abuse hurled at waiters in Hereford restaurant

8:30am Friday 11th December 2009

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TWO waiters and a taxi driver were injured after a teenager caused havoc at a Hereford restaurant.

Ross Murdoch was first ordered to leave the Jalsagor after bothering other diners with a sex toy.

He kicked a waiter on the bottom and punched him as he left on May 18, Worcester Crown Court was told.

But Murdoch returned with his friend Daniel Sisson, carrying a broken bottle, said Kerry Moreton, prosecuting.

This time, Murdoch shouted racial abuse and punched an off-duty waiter and a taxi driver.

Sisson, who had armed himself with a meat cleaver, caused both men to fear for their safety, said Miss Moreton.

But he put the weapon down before punching the waiter in the face.

Murdoch, aged 19, of Richmond Street, Moorfields, Hereford, pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm and one of common assault.

Sissons, 24, who lives in the same road, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Judge John Cavell gave Murdoch a two-year community order after he spent 177 days in custody on remand.

Sissons, who had been on bail, was also given a two-year community order with 40 hours unpaid work.

The judge said: “This was an extremely ugly incident. It was violent, offensive and racial.”

He ordered the defendants to pay £700 court costs each within 12 months.

Giles Nelson, for Murdoch, said the plasterer had drunk to excess before the incident.

Lynette McClements, for Sissons, said he had a job but was suitable for unpaid community work.

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