Portsmouth man arrested after alleged racist attack in Commercial Road as Hampshire police officer assaulted

Conor James Hodgkins, 32, of Elm Grove, Southsea, was charged with several offences following the “shocking” incident, which happened on Saturday, December 9.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers are appealing to find the victim of the alleged racism and Hodgkins is set to appear in court today (December 11.)

A force spokesperson said: “Officers from the Portsmouth Central neighbourhood team were out patrolling Commercial Road yesterday, both uniformed and in plain clothes, as part of an operation to combat anti-social behaviour and theft in the lead up to Christmas.

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"While out, our attention was drawn to a person alleged to be shouting racist comments at someone in the street. Officers intervened and arrested the man, which required other members of the team to attend and assist. During this, one officer suffered a head injury.

"Obviously, it was extremely busy in Commercial Road and we know it can be shocking for people to see officers having to deal with incidents like this. I can now update you that Conor James Hodgkins, 32, of Elm Grove, Southsea, has been charged with a number of offences, and remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.”

He has been charged with:

• Two counts of criminal damage
• One count of assaulting a person occasioning actual bodily harm
• Three counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker
• One count of common assault of an emergency worker
• One count of racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress by words
• One count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress
• One count of possession of a controlled drug of class B - cannabis
• The person who was subjected to the alleged racist comments is asked to call 101, quoting the reference 44230503084.