PC in dock for ‘racially abusing’ black suspect in riots
A POLICEMAN subjected a young black man to a racist tirade while he was under arrest during last summer’s riots, a court was told yesterday.
PC Alex MacFarlane, 53, was secretly recorded on a mobile phone telling Mauro Demetrio, ‘You will always be a n*****.’ He also told the 21-year- old: ‘Don’t hide behind your colour.’
The two brief audio recordings were played to a jury at Southwark Crown Court as the veteran riot squad officer went on trial yesterday.
He admits using the language but denies causing racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress on the grounds it was not racist and did not upset Mr Demetrio.
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said the defendant was a serving police officer and obliged to remain ‘calm and professional’ despite being abused by Mr Demetrio. He said: ‘Such words were designed to cause distress and insult. They were designed to suggest to Mr Demetrio he was inferior to the officer because of the colour of his skin.’
The confrontation took place in front of up to ten officers in a police van in Beckton, East London, on August 11 last year. Mr Demetrio was pulled over on suspicion of drug-driving at the tail end of the four days of disorder that swept the capital. Officers handcuffed him when a radio check revealed he was wanted for drugs offences and skipping a magistrates’ court hearing.
Once inside the van Mr Demetrio began to record a foul- mouthed exchange with the officers as they drove to Forest Gate police station.
MacFarlane is heard telling the suspect he would die within five years before making crude references to having had sex with his mother. When Mr Demetrio talks back, saying the officer will soon die of old age, MacFarlane says: ‘The problem with you is you will always be a n*****.’
He adds: ‘Don’t hide behind your colour, be proud of who you are.’ Mr Demetrio said other officers laughed at previous remarks but not that one.
Mr Demetrio told the court: ‘I really felt violated.’ Mr Atkinson said: ‘The defendant was well aware this was a word that could be deeply hurtful and demeaning and should not be used.’
The trial is expected to last two or three days.