Sponsored by
'Disgraceful' racist abuse of a family enjoying Scarborough beach
A SCARBOROUGH mother who racially abused a family who were enjoying a day trip to one of the town's beaches has been spared jail.
Elaine White, 40, of Norwood Mews, was told by Judge John Swanson at York Crown Court that she should be "ashamed of herself" and that "right-thinking people in Scarborough would be ashamed to have her being in their town".
She was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
Two other people appeared with White in connection with the racial abuse of and attack on a visiting Asian family last summer.
They were Leah Lloyd, 19, formerly of Scarborough, who is currently detained in a mental health institution, and a 16-year-old youth, currently in foster care.
All three previously admitted a charge of affray.
White was told by the judge that she was the most guilty of those in the dock and, like them, was responsible for "loutish behaviour" which had been a disgrace to the people of Scarborough and themselves alike.
Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, told how a 10-strong Asian family, including young children, were enjoying the sunshine on the beach when a group containing the defendants began racially abusing them.
Beer bottles were then thrown by the group when they were challenged, not only by members of the family, but also by other sunbathers who were "frightened, shocked and upset" by the defendant's behaviour.
One bottle hit a middle-aged woman on the shoulder, leaving a bruise, and a woman who tried to intervene was struck on the finger as White demanded to know why people were trying to help the family.
The court was told in a written Victim Impact Statement that the family had been on their first visit to the town and now did not want to go back because of "this very bad experience".
The statement went on to express gratitude to the people, particularly the woman who tried to intervene, on the family's behalf.
Richard Woolfall, mitigating on behalf of White, said that she was a single mother of four who had been physically abused by several previous partners and left to bring up her family alone.
Judge Swanson heard that White realised she had acted "unforgivably" and that the victim family had been "badly abused".
Ann Mundy, mitigating for the youth, said that he had been placed on a Detention and Training Order by magistrates while awaiting sentencing for the affray, and appeared now to be changing.
She said her client accepted shouting "disgraceful" remarks and "holding a bottle in a threatening manner" but they had played no other part in the affray, instead moving a young child away from the scene.
Patricia Doherty, mitigating for Lloyd, said that, because of the hospital order already imposed by Scarborough magistrates for an unconnected assault, the crown court's hands were tied as far as sentencing went.
Judge Swanson, who earlier dismissed an appeal by Lloyd against the hospital order, told her that she would, for an unknown period of time, have to remain where she did not want to be.
She was conditionally discharged for 12 months on the affray charge.
The youth was placed under a Community and Rehabilitation Order for 12 months, told to take part in 60 days of specified activities and placed under a 7pm to 7am electronically monitored curfew for five months.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Scarborough
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
