Telford man said racist slurs to 14-year-old boy and police officer then blamed mental health issues

Jamie Benbow, aged 33, unloaded a torrent of racist abuse, afterwards blaming mental health problems and a lack of medication for his ADHD.

However, his excuses didn't wash with Recorder Jason MacAdam, who said: "You're not the first to try that."

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how police were called to an address in Telford on January 25, 2020 after the teenager's mother phoned to say he had been racially harassed.

Benbow called the boy a "f****** p*** little b******" and was staring through a window at him.

Police arrested Benbow, but "he didn't keep his mouth shut," prosecutor Antonie Muller told the court. He was abusive and threatening to police officers at the station in Malinsgate, and called a Polish officer a "foreign f***".

The incident "knocked the officer's confidence and caused him distress", Mr Muller told the court.

Benbow, of Selbourne, Sutton Hill, Telford, pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated harassment. He has eight previous convictions for 12 offences, including criminal damage, drink driving and dishonesty.

Alexa Carrier, mitigating, said Benbow suffers from ADHD, and that he was unable to get his medication when he made the offensive remarks.

Recorder Jason MacAdam told Benbow: "You were racially insulting and aggressive to not one but two people. One was a young person and the other was a police officer. You were aggressive and belligerent with police afterwards too.

"That cannot be tolerated, and won't be tolerated. You may have anxiety and depression, but half the country is anxious about something. I sit on the Mental Health Tribunal. You are not the first to try that."

He sentenced Benbow to an 18-month community order with a mental health treatment requirement and 30 rehabilitation activity days. He must also pay a victim surcharge.