A racist lout is facing jail after attacking two men with a Christmas tree bauble at a Metro station.
Cocaine-fuelled Thomas Bailey also shouted homophobic abuse as he hit the two victims, who were strangers to him, over the head during an unprovoked assault. A court heard that both men suffered cuts to their heads, which required gluing at a hospital.
As the two victims desperately tried to phone the police, Bailey tried to grab their phone to stop them, prosecutors said. He eventually left the scene but, during a separate incident later on the same day, went on to make threats to a member of staff at the Whitley Bay hotel where he was staying.
Read More: Son banned from visiting dad attended his home three times to ask for cigarettes and cash
Now, the 21-year-old, formerly of Morpeth but now living in Maple Street, in Ashington, could be sent to prison after he appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one of racially-aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a public order offence. His case was adjourned until May 24 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Prosecutor, Rob Lawson, said the two victims were at Whitley Bay Metro Station on December 5 last year when Bailey approached one of them while he was at the ticket machine. Mr Lawson continued: "The defendant said "Is that your boyfriend, you dirty f****t".
"He asked the complainant for a light then called the second complainant a "n*****" and a "Jew" and called him a f****t. The defendant punched [the first complainant] and, when [the second complainant] intervened, he was also punched by the defendant, whilst being called a dirty, little f*****t."
The court heard that Bailey continued with his onslaught of abuse before striking both men over the head with "an object", which was later revealed to be a bauble from a Christmas tree. The decoration smashed from the impact, Mr Lawson said.
Bailey then left the scene, after trying to grab the victims' phone as they tried to ring the police, and returned to his hotel in Whitley Bay, where he shouted abuse at at staff member. Mr Lawson added: "He called her fat before threatening her family and threatening to burn down the hotel. She didn't believe the threats."
David Parish, defending, said Bailey had acted out of character and was extremely remorseful. He told magistrates: "He's disgusted at his actions.
"He suffers with depression and anxiety and he's not been getting help with that. There are days when he struggles to get out of his bedroom with his dog. Sometimes, to get himself out and about, he takes controlled substances. On this day, he hadn't slept in days and went out the house because he had taken cocaine."
Mr Parish said the object used by Bailey, who couldn't remember much of the incident, to strike the victims was a bauble off a Christmas tree.
Read Next
Durham driver forced cars to swerve to avoid crashing after scrap metal fell from his van on A69
Drunk Newcastle fan punched traffic management worker while leaving St James' Park
Walker drunk struck paramedic to the face after refusing treatment outside city hotel
Aggressive vandal used large garden fork to damage door of Heaton flat while people were inside
