Race attack man waits on court decision
A Sunderland man who pulled a veil from a Muslim woman’s face and told her “our Britain, you live by our ******* rules” should learn his fate next month.
Peter Scotter targeted the woman, who was with her nine-year son at the Bridge’s shopping centre, on July 3 last year.
The 55-year-old approached his victim, who was waiting outside one of the stores for her husband, reached out and grabbed her niqab veil, pulled it off and threw it on the ground, exposing her face to the public before shouting sickening racist slurs.
At Newcastle Crown Court in February, Scotter pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault by beating in relation to the woman.
Scotter, of Beach Street, Roker, Sunderland, also admitted a charge of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.
The court heard both offences were based on Scotter’s assumption that the woman was a member of a particular religious group.
Scotter’s case has been repeatedly adjourned since his guilty plea following his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
He attended court today, where the hearing was delayed again until June.
Tony Hawks, defending, said the victim has spoken publicly in a local newspaper and on television, saying she hoped Scotter had “learned his lesson” and that she did not want him jailed.
Judge Stephen Earl ordered an up-to-date position on the victim’s views and medical evidence on the prognosis for Scotter, who awaits further results and hospital appointments.
Judge Earl ordered that Scotter will be sentenced on June 14.
The court was told at an earlier hearing the victim was left exposed and scared by what happened to her.
As Scotter walked away he was heard saying “our Britain, you live by our ******* rules”.
The victim’s niqab was damaged but she managed to repair it.
She told police after the attack: “This incident has left me scared to go out and I don’t want to go into town again. I am disgusted my nine-year-old son had to witness this.”