A MAN hurled racist abuse at a smoker who would not give him a cigarette – before his friend knocked the victim unconscious.

Thomas Gormley admitted racially aggravated public order at Foregate Street station when he appeared before a district judge at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court was told how the 30-year-old of Comer Road, St John’s, Worcester, was in the station at about 4.30pm on Monday, February 4, when he approached two friends who were smoking and asked if he could have a cigarette.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said: “He was told ‘no’ and he has been accused of being rude for not sharing.” Miss Lovegrove said Gormley told the victim, ‘I have knocked people like you down before’ and that he made offensive reference to the man being of Pakistani origin and asked him ‘why he was in this country?’ She said: “Somebody known to Mr Gormley has become involved and assaulted the man, resulting in him being knocked unconscious.”

Miss Lovegrove said many of the witnesses to the incident were of school age and were ‘alarmed’ by the behaviour Gormley displayed. She said another person had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in connection with the incident, had pleaded guilty and was now in custody awaiting sentence.

District judge Nigel Cadbury asked Gormley, who represented himself, if there was anything he wanted to say.

Gormley said: “At the time I was drinking. Even though I said a few things I didn’t really mean I still don’t agree with the bit about me being constantly abusive. That’s not true. I only said one thing. It will say it was racist and I shouldn’t have said it. I said it and I didn’t say anything further.

“It was my friend I was with – I didn’t condone what he did. I did make sure he (the victim) was put in the recovery position and waited for paramedics to arrive. After the incident I gave him (his friend) a bit of a rollicking.”

Gormley was fined £110 and ordered to pay £85 compensation and a £20 victim surcharge.