Two women were racially abused when they didn’t welcome a drinker’s advances as they walked home, York magistrates heard.

Daniel Rodgers, 24, repeatedly tried to get the two women to talk to him when he encountered them at 3am on February 3, said Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting.

He was so persistent that one of the women, who was Polish, rang her mother and spoke to her in Polish.

Rodgers then made racial comments to them including: “You’re not from here” and “Where are you from?” and when they said they were from London, he said they should be going to the train station.

They contacted police and Rodgers was arrested.

Both women were in their early 20s, had homes in York and were studying in the city, said Ms Ibbotson.

Rodgers, formerly of Clifton, pleaded guilty to racially abusing both women.

He had previously served a prison sentence for racially abusing a police officer and spitting at police during one of the Covid lockdowns and is currently serving a two-year sentence imposed at York Crown Court this summer for an assault. He is due to be released in May next year.

Magistrates said his imprisonment limited their options. They gave him a two-year conditional discharge and by law, he must pay a £26 statutory surcharge.

For him, Harry Bayman said he was struggling to live as a single man in York.

Rodgers had been trying to engage them in conversation and when they didn’t respond, he had reacted in the way he had.

“Clearly both (women) are north European, one English, one Polish,” said Mr Bayman.

Rodgers had been drinking heavily at the time and was “dependant on alcohol”, said the defence solicitor.

Ms Ibbotson said the women were walking home after being out socialising when the incident happened.