A couple were subjected to vile racist abuse during an attack by their neighbour.
Jordan Glaister was the upstairs neighbour of the couple at the time in Prudhoe, Northumberland, and they said they'd had ongoing problems with him in the lead up to the assault. Glaister, who has since been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, claimed they had been noisy.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that around 11.30am on September 18 2021, the male victim went to help a neighbour carrying a sofa and a short time later heard his wife shouting for him to go home. Glaister was "hanging out of his window" shouting abuse at the woman and laughing.
Read more: Three teens cleared of murdering dad with one convicted of manslaughter
The court heard a short time later he then shouted the N-word and lunged at the man and headbutted him in the face before punching him around three times. They ended up grappling and fighting, with Glaister calling him a "black s***" and forcing his fingers in his mouth and trying to stretch his mouth open.
As the man's wife tried to pull them apart, along with other neighbours, Glaister pushed her and made further racial slurs.
The man was left with injuries including a bloodied mouth, swollen lip and cut knees. In a victim impact statement he said: "I don't understand why someone could have such hate to people of colour. This was a racist attack."
His wife added: "This person can't abuse us this way. We moved here for a peaceful life and should not have to put up with racist abuse in my own home. I'm afraid to continue to live in my own home."
The court heard Glaister has eight previous convictions, including two for racially aggravated common assault and one for racially aggravated criminal damage when he was a youth.
The 27-year-old, now of Chareway, Hexham, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and racially aggravated assault by beating. He was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with a three-month curfew and a restraining order.
Ellen Wright, defending, said: "He understands his behaviour was utterly abhorrent but by way of background this was not a random attack. There had been an ongoing neighbour dispute.
"The defendant felt there had been a lot of noise being made by them and reported that to the housing provider. That upset them and tensions boiled over on behalf of Mr Glaister.
"Just before he attacked him he heard a voice saying 'just attack him' and he has now been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In the cold light of day he is utterly ashamed of himself and deeply remorseful for what happened.
"He wishes to extend his apologies to the victims but understands they probably don't want to hear that. He says he wishes he had just moved. In the heat of the moment he couldn't control himself.
"He wishes the court to know he is not a racist person. He can't understand why the horrible words came out of his mouth, he is absolutely mortified.
"He was sectioned three weeks after this, such was the deterioration in his mental health and he was in hospital for more than 11 months."
Read next:
- Benwell son of Tyneside doctor jailed for peddling Spice on streets of Newcastle and having taser
- Woman dragged from car in dimly-lit Gateshead restaurant car park by drug-hungry robber
- Sunderland woman who uses wheelchair and zimmer frame jailed for stabbing girlfriend in back
- Schoolboys threatened by drunken Newcastle knifeman after calling him a 'dirty old man'
- Police officer injured after Birtley drink driver reversed tipper truck towards his car during chase
