Year-long sentence for takeaway incident

The campaign of hatred by youths against the Turkish employee of Pizza Planet escalated sharply after two Leeds United fans were killed in Istanbul, York Youth Court heard. A drunken 17-year-old with a troubled background hurled a flaming dustbin into the staff area as he trashed the take-away. He was on bail at the time for violent behaviour towards staff in another shop in Bramham Road, Chapelfields and breaking a wooden fence.

The 17-year-old, from west York, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to affray and racially-aggravated criminal damage, criminal damage, and two public order offences. He was given a 12-month detention and training order after youth justices watched a CCTV video of the racial incident. They saw the 17-year-old tear off a metre-long section of the counter and throw it into the staff area where the Turk was, spit food from his mouth at him, and hurl other items over the counter. The youth then left the shop, only to return with a flaming dustbin and hurl it over the counter.

Viviene Walsh, prosecuting, said the damage, mostly from the fire, was put at £800. The youth and others had insulted and terrified the shop staff for months, but the Leeds United killings "made the situation much worse", The youths called their male victim a "Turkish bastard" and a "murdering Turkish bastard," said Mrs Walsh.

For the youth, Jackie Knights said he had family problems which he had tried to blot out with drink, but that had led to his bad behaviour. All his offending was drink-related. He had a psychiatric disorder which needed treatment, and since the take-away incident was receiving it.

He had fully confessed to his racial crime to police, though he could not remember the insults he was yelling. A second 17-year-old from west York is serving a four-month detention and training order for witness intimidation and playing a lesser role in the take-away affray.