Hartlepool newsagent filmed yob’s racist tirade on her mobile

A yob has been sent back to jail after a foul-mouthed racist rant towards a female shop worker.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.

Jeffrey Mincher, 21, swore at the newsagent outside her Hartlepool shop calling her an immigrant and threatened to ‘kick your head off’.

The victim recorded the abuse on her mobile phone.

At the time of the incident Mincher was out on licence after being released early from a four-year jail term for burgling an 84-year-old man’s home and a knifepoint robbery of a 17-year-old.

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He was recalled to prison to serve the rest of the sentence following the racially motivated verbal assault on May 31 last year for which he was given 10 months.

The court heard he has a similar previous conviction for another racist outburst towards a Chinese takeaway worker in Raby Road when he was a youth.

Tyhe latest offence happened then an argument developed inside the newsagents close to Hartlepool town centre when Mincher went in to pay a debt.

The victim followed him out into the street and filmed the racist tirade.

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Harry Hadfield, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court said he swore at her calling her an immigrant and said: “You want to get out of the country. I will kick your head off’.”

It was witnessed by a member of the public.

Mincher, of Dent Street, Hartlepool, admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said in mitigation: “He’s thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour.”

He said Mincher was affected by heroin he had started taking.

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Mr Constantine added: “There was no physical movement which might have suggested immediate violence. It was verbal.”

Judge Sean Morris said: “This was a nasty racially motivated assault on a wholly decent hard working woman who was trying to make a living – something you really don’t understand it looks like from your record.

“You have got a previous conviction for using racist words and that seriously aggravates your situation.

“You have to learn we all come from different places. We are all the same whatever colour we are.”

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Mincher was also made the subject of a restraining order to stay away from the shop on his release for five years.

Police say racial abuse will not be tolerated

Cleveland Police reiterated that hate crime will not be tolerated.

A spokesperson for the force’s Hate Crime Investigation Team said: “Everyone has the right to live without the fear of abuse whether verbal and physical.”

Hate crime can be reported in the following ways:

• At a police station

• Call police either on 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.

• At a 3rd party reporting centre if you prefer to speak to someone who is not a police officer. These include Citizens Advice Hartlepool, 87 Park Road; Centre for Independent Living, Havelock Street; Hartlepool Civic Centre, Victoria Road; community hubs and libraries and Salaam Community Centre, St Paul’s Road.