Nuisance offender jailed for suicide vest jibes at Asian police officer

Regan Miles McFarlane, who has already been banned from Wakefield city centre by a criminal behaviour order (CBO), made the comments to the officer after being arrested over a disturbance he caused at Leeds' Kirkgate Market on September 1 this year.

Prosecuting Alisha Kaye, said officers were called to the neighbouring bus station in Leeds where a security guard had been detaining the 27-year-old.

Once at the police station he began racially abusing an Asian officer, swearing at him, asking him if was a terrorist and if he was wearing a suicide vest.

He even told the officer not to look at him "with those Asian eyes".

Ms Kaye said McFarlane, who had previously lived in Wakefield but was now of no fixed address, had 19-pages worth of previous convictions and offences, including threats, harassment, drugs, drunken behaviour and previous racially-aggravated offences.

Mitigating, Robin Frieze, said his client's behaviour stemmed from the incident that had happened earlier in the market.

The security guard at Kirkgate Market, with whom McFarlane has had previous run-ins, had stopped him from riding his bicycle indoors.

McFarlane claimed that the security guard had damaged his bike - which is of sentimental value because it belonged to his grandfather - during the confrontation.

Mr Frieze said: "He felt the arrest was deeply unfair and was upset about his bike.

"He accepts he behaved badly and is sorry he took it out on the police.

"He finds it difficult to control his emotions when he is frustrated.

"He has substantial mental health issues and has been living on the street for a number of years."

He said that McFarlane was having a "miserable time" in prison while on remand, was locked in his cell for almost 24-hours a day and that his mental health has suffered.

Appearing at Leeds Crown Court via video link from HMP Leeds, McFarlane admitted a charge of racially-aggravated harassment.

He told the judge that he was in Leeds because he had been banned from Wakefield by a three-year CBO imposed in September last year.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC jailed him for nine months and said: "You have a terrible criminal record and whatever happened before (at Kirkgate market) does not excuse your behaviour in the police station.

"It's a serious matter. Only immediate custody can be justified."