Asylum seeker target of race abuse by two men in bare-chested street violence
TWO St Budeaux men asked an Eritrean asylum seeker for money and attacked him when he didn't pay up, a court heard.
The 27-year-old victim and a friend had collected a female friend from the bus station and were walking home through Mayflower Street at around 11pm on Sunday, February 7.
They were confronted by Michael Mooney, who asked the man for money, racially insulting him and punching him in the face when he didn't pay.
There was a scuffle in which Stephen Preece tried to intervene, the court heard.
The victim's male companion restrained him and phoned the police.
Preece and Mooney both spat at the victim, who spat back, ran round a corner and picked up a branch.
The two men, by now bare-chested, continued to spit at and insult him as he tried to fend them off with the branch, the court was told.
Police arrived and Mooney spat in the officer's face as he was arrested, while in custody Preece continued racist chants.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that Mooney, 23, had seven previous convictions for offences including battery, while Preece, 25, had three previous convictions including a caution for battery.
Both men are also awaiting trial in Truro Crown Court for an alleged assault in Torpoint last October.
Jason Beal, for Preece, said he was responding well to a community order, had completed unpaid work and was reducing his drinking.
Jo Martin, for Mooney, said he had been part of a settled family with two children, but the relationship had broken down.
"He's lost his way and gone off the rails," she said.
"Alcohol is the root of his offending."
Judge Francis Gilbert QC said this was an unprovoked attack by two men in the street aggravated by racial abuse, and Mooney was highly drunk at the time.
He gave both men credit for pleading guilty to racially-aggravated common assault, but jailed Preece, of Scott Avenue, for eight months and Mooney, of a different address in the same road, for 10 months.
8 Comments
by Mick, Barbican
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 3:10AM
“Quote- "Mooney spat at the victim and spat at a police officer.."
Sounds like he's full of spit”
by Stuart, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 10:08PM
“T West Hoe,
Were lucky that we live in a country where can have a difference of opinion
I just thought it ironic that a fellow could have gone through his life journey, travelled so very far and through so many countries that offer safe haven, and turn up in Plymouth and be assualted by the two offenders.”
by C, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 9:23PM
“If this is the Michael Mooney I knew when he was five, then I am so sorry he has ended up like this. He was such a nice little boy who came from a disfunctional family but who still loved and supported him. Turn your life around Michael you are worth so much more. You are a Father now, and should be a role model to your children, do you want them to grow up like you did?”
by T, West Hoe
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 9:23PM
“Stuart, Plymouth
That the best you can do is it. Whether or not you agree with an individual's asylum claim is frankly, irrelevent.
Had the Eritrean people not come along, I'm sure these scutters would have found others to attack/intimidate!”
by Stuart, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 5:42PM
“Poor victim, imagine having to leave Eritrea, come through so many borders pending on route, Sudan, Egypt,Libya, Algeria,Tunisia then over the med, or Boat from Egypt to Turkey and through Europe,Europe with countries where asylum could have been applied for, only to come to Plymouth and be subjected to a violent assault.
As to the sentence is seems that the only way to guarantee a custodial and B&B care of HMP is to assualt a member of a black and ethnic minority group, attacks on vulnerable youths with learning difficulties doesn't quite seem to reach the threshold for imprisonment.”
by Bottom of my shoe., plymouth
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 4:25PM
“Mooney and Preece should have
IDIOT stamped on their forehead !
Same as HDR.
Horrible Disgusting Rubbish !
This scum is soft, smelly, and sticks just
like dog mess.”
by micky b, Torquay
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 4:22PM
“Uneducated lowlifes, seems to be no shortage of them in plymouth,and the defense is again alcohol, it really does seem the police and government are spineless in trying to stop this misuse and menace ,.look at union st on any weekend, and its been the same for 35 years that i know of, bizzare,”
by JJ, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 31 2010, 2:26PM
“People like these two scum are the reasons why i have taken up self defence ! I am no superman ,but would like to think i could give myself a fighting chance !”