You’re a disgrace, judge tells racist rant shopper

“The defendant then stuck out his hand, pulled on his chin and beard and said: ‘What’s this silly thing on your face?’”

Mr Afzal, who had worked at the store since 2015, said that because of the incident he felt forced to move to another store which was further away and offered him less hours.

Mrs Seddon said: “He was shocked and saddened by what happened as he was just doing his job and felt that he was abused because of his faith.”

Totton, of Leeds Road, Huddersfield, denied the offence but was convicted following a trial during which Mr Afzal and his colleague gave evidence and a warrant was then issued for his arrest.

At the hearing, the court heard that jobless Totton smoked cannabis daily but was unwilling to address this habit as he didn’t see it as a problem.

He also showed little empathy towards his victim or regard for the impact his behaviour had on him.

District Judge Michael Fanning told him: “To walk up to someone and who is obviously of a different ethnic background and religion, pull their beard and tell them to stick the Koran up their a**e is pretty disgraceful.

“Comments and behaviour such as this has to stop and it will only stop if people realise that there is a consequence of doing something as foolish as this.”

Totton was sentenced to eight weeks in custody suspended for a year.

He must complete 16 days of rehabilitation activities, to include the Think Again programme aimed at addressing hate-based offending.

Judge Fanning also ordered him to pay £400 court costs and £115 compensation to Mr Afzal.