A man subjected a Muslim employee at McDonald’s to foul-mouthed racist abuse - asking if the staff member was going to “chop” his head off.
Patrick Maughan, 65, was jailed for the tirade when he appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday charged with two counts of racial and religiously aggravated intentional harassment.
Maughan, from Perth Close in Langley Green, pleaded guilty to both offences.
On June 18 he racially abused Mohamed Mahroof and Mansoor Bahar who were working in the McDonald’s on Haslett Avenue West, in the town centre, by making reference to ISIS beheadings and mimicking the way Muslim people pray.
This was just six days after he had been sentenced for another racially aggravated crime.
Melanie Wotton, prosecuting, said: “At about 7pm Maughan went into McDonald’s where Mr Mahroof was working as an assistant manager and Mr Bahar as a security guard.
“Maughan leant over the counter and read Mr Mahroof’s name badge before asking him ‘Are you Mohamed?’ and adding ‘Are you a Muslim’?
“Mr Mahroof responded by saying ‘yes’ and when Maughan asked him again he ignored him.
“Maughan then said ‘I’m Christian, you are a Muslim, do you want to chop off my head’? and he made a gesture across his throat to show a beheading.”
The court heard Maughan was asked to leave the restaurant and was warned police would be called if he didn’t.
Despite initially turning to leave he returned towards the counter to harass Mr Mahroof again.
Ms Wotton added: “Speaking to Mr Mahroof, Maughan again said ‘You Muslim, you want to chop off my head’.
“He then knelt down and pretended to pray to mimic how a Muslim would pray.
“Mr Mahroof repeated that he wanted Maughan to leave and as the defendant did so he went up to Mr Bahar who was near the doorway and said ‘What are you looking at you bloody black man’? before repeatedly calling him a ‘d*** head’.”
Ms Wotton read out a victim impact statement from Mr Mahroof where he said: “The incident was totally unprovoked.
“I have never had an incident like that before. It really upset me. I work to provide a service and now every time I go to work I’m reminded of what happened.”
Laura French, who was defending Maughan, said her client takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
She added: “He is an alcoholic and at the time of the incident he found out a family member was seriously ill. He was depressed and relapsed by drinking alcohol.
“He is embarrassed and deeply regrets his actions. He says that wasn’t the type of language he would usually use.
“He feels ashamed. He was in a drunken state and responded in a foolish way.”
Ms French told the court Maughan wants to get help for his addiction.
Despite the claim that using racist language was not “usual”, the court heard Maughan was given a 15-month community order in June for a separate incident of racially aggravated harassment.
Ms Wotton said: “The previous matter took place at Cineworld in Crawley Leisure Park in January where Maughan spat in a man’s face before saying to him ‘don’t give me Ebola’.
“He then called him ‘just a n*****' and said ‘Go home to your country’.”
Magistrates sentenced Maughan to 12 weeks in jail for each offence to be served concurrently, meaning a total sentence of 12 weeks.
Chair of the bench of magistrates, Maria Kempshall, said: “These offences are so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.
“These were aggravated offences of harassment of a racial nature against two people carrying out their employment in a public place.
“This was also the second similar racially aggravated offence you have committed in a short time span.”
Maughan was also ordered to pay a £80 victim surcharge and £180 costs.