Yob who punched Metrolink inspector avoids jail
A YOB who drunkenly punched a Metrolink ticket inspector and hurled vile racist abuse at another has walked free from court.
Paul Smith, 46, also swung a belt around during the violent outburst in the city centre which left passengers ‘terrified.’
Smith, from Chorlton, was so drunk he cannot remember what happened, the judge was told.
He was on a busy tram travelling through Manchester towards Victoria station when he became aggressive to a group of fellow passengers. The driver stopped at St Peter’s Square and ordered Smith to get off but he initially refused, Eileen Rogers, prosecuting, said. A group of around 10 inspectors, including Phil Burke and Aaron Iman, who were on a tram heading back from the Etihad Stadium, managed to get him out. However, he carried on being abusive and aggressive on the platform, shouting ‘I f***ing hate Europeans.’ He then tried to get back on the tram and when Mr Burke tried to stop him, he tried to punch the tram window but also made contact with Mr Burke’s face, hitting him on the eye, causing swelling, the court was told.
He also took his belt off and ‘began waving it around’ and shouted a racial slur towards Mr Iman. Police were called and he was arrested.
The tram, and the network as a whole, were very busy at the time, shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday, October 14.
David Philpott, defending, said Smith was a ‘skilled’ paint technician who has worked for companies including BMW, but is currently unemployed.
He had ‘very little recollection of what took place’ due to how much booze he’d drunk, Mr Philpott told the district judge. He said Smith, who cares for his elderly father who has dementia, had now gone teetotal.
Smith, of Darlbeck Walk, Chorlton, admitted assault and a racially aggravated public order offence at an earlier hearing.
District Judge John Temperley, sitting at Manchester magistrates court, sentenced Smith to eight weeks in prison, suspended for a year, and ordered him to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.
He must also pay £100 compensation to each victim and £100 in costs – and undergo an alcohol treatment programme.