Contractor working for Havant Borough Council is jailed after violent racist outburst towards work colleague

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Charlie Jeans, 23, pictured right, used a racial slur towards his colleague and answered the work phone to his boss saying ‘white boys’ only’.

A shocked line manager at his work, Havant Borough Council contractor Norse South East, reported the racism and Jeans was sacked.

But the dad-of-two, of Thruxton Road, Havant, ‘lost control’ when he saw the target of his racist abuse sitting in a works van with a colleague near the depot – and smashed the vehicle with a baton.

Judge Jane Rowley said: ‘This was an incident which was ugly where you deliberately approached the (victim)’s vehicle, you called him racist abusive names which I do not care to repeat.

‘You returned to your vehicle to arm yourself with a weapon – a foot-long cosh. You set about causing maximum damage to his vehicle.’

Shards of glass flew from smashed windows of the van at the two occupants during the incident on November 22 in Southmore Lane, Havant.

Jailing him for 10 months, the judge said: ‘A clear message needs to go out to people like you who harbour such views.

‘Your views will not be tolerated in 21st century multicultural Britain where our successes as a country have been forged by the endeavours of people of many cultures, races and religions.’

Jeans, who has 18 convictions for 32 offences, was charged with having an offensive weapon, racially-aggravated common assault, assault, racially-aggravated criminal damage, criminal damage and racially-aggravated causing fear of violence.

‘I see this behaviour at the highest level of racism. There can be no excuses for your actions,’ the judge said.

Jeans admitted the racist offences only on the second day of his trial in May, after two people from the company had given evidence.

The judge added: ‘You chanced your arm in this case, you had an expectation that you were living on borrowed time, that quite possibly work friends or colleagues would not turn up to give evidence – witness summonses had to be issued.

‘When they did the decent thing it was clear to me that they were significantly embarrassed by your racism and bullying, intimidating behaviour towards the victim over the many months leading up to you losing your control and smashing up his vehicle and causing him great fear when you assaulted him in November 2017.’

Damian Haye, for unemployed Jeans, said: ‘This should be treated as an isolated incident, reflecting the loss of control and not a return to former ways.’