Barmaid who hurled racist abuse at Romanian bouncer is fined

A barmaid has been ordered to pay a bouncer £100 compensation after she hurled racist abuse at him in a 2am bust up when he told her she was barred from one of her local pubs.

Georgia Ward, 28, lost her temper and told Agab Nazzal: 'F****ing Romanian, go back to your own country' when he intervened in a row she was having with one of his colleagues outside a pub in Chester.

Chester magistrates court heard Ward, who worked behind the bar of another pub, had been barred from Marlborough Arms a week earlier after an incident in which she had over reacted to a man 'coming on' to her.

On the night of the incident she had been out until late at the nearby Havana bar with John-Isaac Thompson, 33, a former pub manager, who she had just met before the pair decided to go to the Marlborough for a nightcap.

The incident occurred on November 15 last year when former flight dispatcher Mr Nazzal, from Ellesmere Port, and who is fluent in German and Arabic, was walking towards the Marlborough having finished a shift the Popcorn pub.

As he approached the pub he noticed Ward and Thompson arguing outside with a colleague who works for the same door security company.

Miss Tara Thomas, prosecuting, said: 'He saw both defendants shouting and swearing at a colleague working as a doorman in the public house. 

'The complainant has tried to assist in preventing both defendants accessing the public house after they were refused entry.

'It was found that the defendant Miss Ward had shouted a racial comment towards the complainant, words to the effect of 'F****ing Romanian, go back to your own country.

'Both of the defendants are of previous good character. There are no convictions recorded against them.'

Ward of Chester was convicted of racially aggravated harassment and was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. 

Thompson also from Chester and who worked as a manager of a bar in Manchester was convicted of threatening behaviour - but not of the racially aggravated comment - and was made to pay £50 in compensation, ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

Both were each ordered to pay £439 in costs and a surcharge.

A probation worker who spoke to Thompson told the court: 'He had been at a works function in the afternoon at Havana in Chester, drinking and eating at a buffet meal between 2pm and 6pm. 

'After that finished he went into a bar in Chester where he met a friend. He stayed there till 11pm and that was where he met Miss Ward, a friend of his friend.

'He had never met Miss Ward previous to the occasion. They returned to Havana and stayed till it closed at 2am and they then went to the Marlborough Arms. 

'Miss Ward was denied entry to the pub after being told that she was barred but the doorman became aggressive towards Miss Ward to which Mr Thompson reacted verbally aggressively.

'On reflection he is ashamed of that but the reason he did this is he has worked in the industry and did not believe that the doorman was acting appropriately on that occasion.

'He did appear remorseful and recognised the harm caused.'

The probation officer said that Thompson had been employed for three years as a general manager of a Stonegates pub in Manchester but had recently given it up to move back in with his parents in Chester.

'Whilst he worked as general manager in Manchester, he did drink to excess in the course of each night after finishing his shift,' the probation worker said. 

'He has reduced his alcohol intake dramatically after moving back with his parents.

Speaking on behalf of herself, Ward said: 'Obviously I apologise to any victim for my behaviour. There is no excuse, but a lot of stress, financial and home things are factors of it. 

'There are no excuses. I have cut down a lot on alcohol in the last year. I will take any help offered to me going forward.'

Asked by the magistrates about being barred from the pub, she said she believed that referred to an incident the week before outside the pub, on the corner, when she was 'very intoxicated' and reacted to a man a 'coming on towards me'.

She added: 'That is the only thing I can think of. That is why I was questioned by the doorman at the time. 

'They were not giving me a reason. They do not have to, I know that now, but that is where it stems from.'

Thompson's defence solicitor Peter Barnett said: 'There was gesturing and he said "you are not fit to wear the badge" and may have used an expletive but there was no force and no physical aspect at all. 

'He accepts he went beyond what was reasonable. He had been on a works night out and accepts he drank far too much which is why his judgement was lacking on that occasion.'

Sentencing JP Charles Platt said: 'Mr Thompson, you say you were not happy with the bouncer's way he carried out his duties.

'But being in the state you were in because of the excessive alcohol you might not have been in the best position to make a judgement. 

'Miss Ward you were convicted of a racial element to your behaviour and the court takes that seriously. For that reason your sentence has been uplifted.

'Make sure that you carry these things out diligently. The court has placed a punishment on you and it intends that you do it regularly as required. 

'If you do not do it you will be brought back to court and you will go downhill from there.'