A 'VULNERABLE' woman used a racist insult to describe a black woman in 'a hate crime' outside a Worcester supermarket.

Kim Jones used the insult, which made reference to the victim's skin colour, outside Asda in Silver Street, Worcester.

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The 56-year-old of Chedworth Drive, Warndon, Worcester, admitted racially or religiously aggravated harassment against Nita Rao when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

The words, which were racially offensive, were used as the complainant collected a shopping trolley on September 20 last year at around 2.55pm.

Eleanor Peart, prosecuting, said: "This matter is a hate crime."

PC Jenkins, who had been in the area at the time, heard the insulting term. "She (the victim) has provided a statement to say she was extremely upset and felt very degraded by the defendant's words towards her" said Miss Peart.

The prosecutor also said Jones made 'a significant comment on arrest which was 'is it about that dark woman?''

The complainant was said to be a friend of the defendant's mother. Jones has no previous convictions.

Paul Stanley, defending, said the comments followed the defendant's mother 'being left in town and could not find her way back home'.

"She has been left in a vulnerable position. A chance meeting of these two outside Asda led to her making this regrettable comment" said Mr Stanley.

He went on to describe his client as a woman of 'hitherto good character' who was vulnerable due to her health, attending court with an NHS worker who works for the learning disabilities team.

Mr Stanley referred to it as 'an isolated incident'. "Although a racist comment was made, she isn't racist" said Mr Stanley.

The solicitor asked that she be given credit for her early guilty plea. He added: "She regrets what she said."

Magistrates made a conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered her to pay a contribution to costs of £100, compensation of £85 and a victim surcharge of £22.

The debt will be cleared via an attachment to her benefits.