Wigan teenager hurled racist abuse at takeaway staff

Callum Carter of Twist Avenue in Golborne appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court this week charged with racially aggravated harassment.

The court heard how the 19-year-old was arrested after emergency responders received a call from him on December 19 last year.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told the bench how Carter had initially called 999 to report an assault that occurred at a takeaway on Railway Road in leigh.

“He said he had been to the premises to find out why a man had been stalking his ex,” said Ms Kenyon.

“He said he would ‘rip his neck off, slit his throat and burn the shop’.

“The 999 responder told him to stop making threats.”

The call handley could hear Carter continuing to make threats to takeaway employees.

At one point during the call, which was recorded like all emergency calls, Carter was heard saying “are you from England?” before telling a staff member to go back to his “own country” before spewing a vile racist slur.

Ms Kenyon said that the teen was recorded saying “I’m racist. You can arrest me all you want but if he doesn’t get arrested I’ll burn the shop down.”

His defence solicitor, Ged Frazer, told magistrates that they were facing a “strange set of circumstances” as none of the takeaway staff had provided police with a statement.

“The defendant accepts the guilty plea and that it was racially aggravated,” he said. “He is a young man in drink letting off a lot of hot air.

“Most of what he said he didn’t mean. He probably wishes he hadn’t said it, and now he can’t unsay it.”

Given the option of a fine or a conditional discharge by the prosecution; the bench decided, given his lack of previous convictions, to give him a conditional discharge for 24 months.

This means if Carter commits another offence in two years he can be sentenced for both offences, but he remains unpunished until then.

The chair of the bench said: “What a silly situation. It could have been far more serious. We have upped the sentenced from 12 to 24 months because of the racial elements. You are not being punished today but if you reoffend again you will be.”