http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/9461049.Police_officers_hurled_racist_abuse__court_hears/heard one of the coppers names mentioned not to long ago and not in nice circumstances either... shame i cant remember why philip upton was being discussed....
Two Wiltshire policemen shouted racist abuse at door staff at a Bath pub while celebrating their Christmas party in 2010, a jury heard today.
Peter Lawson, 38, and Philip Upton, 29, were among a small group of road traffic unit officers from Chippenham asked to leave the Hall and Woodhouse on December 10 due to their alleged rowdy behaviour.
Prosecuting, Stephen Dent told the jury at Bristol Crown Court that the pair became threatening when they were asked to leave the Old King Street pub by assistant manager Philip Cotton.
"Both of these officers got drunk and the Crown says they behaved in such a way that they had to be removed by the door staff,” said Mr Dent.
“They didn’t take kindly to being asked to leave and became threatening and abusive to staff, even to the point of using racial abuse toward one of the bouncers.”
He said Mr Cotton felt their behaviour was ‘unacceptably boisterous’, and stood out despite the bar having around 200 customers.
“He went to speak to them and told them to calm down, but that wasn’t sufficient. He had to go back and warn them again.
“Eventually he decided enough was enough, and that even in the busy Christmas atmosphere it was unacceptable.”
Mr Cotton called on door staff Antonio Leo, who is Italian and speaks with an accent, and Paul Owen, and they asked the party to leave.
Mr Dent said: “Most took it well and got up ready to go, but Peter Lawson didn’t.
“Mr Leo says that when he talked to Peter Lawson he was drunk and refused to leave, saying ‘you are going to have to make me’, ‘you can’t speak properly you Polish b*****d’, ‘you don’t know who you are talking to’ and ‘go back to your own country’.”
Lawson, of Anzio Road, Devizes, then threatened to knock Mr Leo out, and the latter, seeing him holding a glass, feared he might attack him and put him in a headlock.
As he took Lawson outside, Mr Leo said he was harangued by Upton, of Suffolk Road, Westbury, then a special constable.
“Mr Upton said to Antonio Leo ‘we will take your licence away you foreign b*****d’,” added Mr Dent.
“Mr Leo said he was trying to get close to him, and had to be held back by his friends on a number of occasions.”
Andrew Banks, representing Upton, said his client had only been asking Mr Leo why he had been heavy-handed with his friend.
Both he and Jonathon Stanniland, representing Lawson, told the court that the defendants had not used racial terms to the doorman.
The bouncers moved inside and shut the doors, and men from the group outside then kicked against them.
They left only after Mr Cotton informed them that he had called the police.
Throughout the incident the door staff were unaware that the group were police officers, and the details only came to light after Mr Owen was stopped by Upton in a routine police check later that month, the two recognised each other, and Mr Owen reported this to Wiltshire Police.
Both officers were later arrested and charged - but remained in their jobs and were not suspended by their force. Upton has since resigned from the force Lawson denies one charge of racially-aggravated fear or provocation of violence. Upton denies one charge of racially-aggravated harassment, alarm and distress.
The trial,in front of His Honour Judge Michael Longman, continues.
surprise surprise... comments have been disabled on this one
ChatterBox