Portsmouth man Daniel Horsted who attacked a pensioner during a racially aggravated incident in Paulsgrove is jailed

Daniel Horsted, 42, of Austin Court, Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating in relation to an incident in Paulsgrove last year.

He also admitted assaulting an emergency worker after a police officer was assaulted outside Fareham Police station.

Horsted appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

The court heard that Horsted had gone to Fareham Police Station on December 9 last year to make an enquiry when he became verbally abusive towards front desk staff.

Police officers at the station attempted to engage with Horsted, who continued to be verbally abusive before assaulting an officer outside of the station.

Horsted also admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress and two counts of assault by beating in relation to an incident that took place on September 15, 2020, in Paulsgrove.

The court heard how Horsted had made racially abusive comments to a 33-year-old woman and assaulted a 69-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man in an altercation at Austin Court.

Horsted’s sentence also reflected a breach of a suspended sentence order issued by Portsmouth Crown Court in 2019 for criminal damage and threats with a bladed article.

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Det Sgt Jamie Palmer of Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Criminal Investigation Department said: ‘We take a zero-tolerance approach to assaults on our officers, and do not accept that it is simply part of the job.

‘No emergency worker should turn up to work and expect to come to harm. As a force we will continue to work with the CPS to ensure that those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice.

‘In terms of Horsted’s racially aggravated offence, no-one should be subjected to such abuse and it will not be tolerated.

‘We encourage anyone who suffers hate crime, or receives a serious threat against them to report it to the police, either by calling 101 or online through the True Vision website at www.report-it.org.uk. Always call 999 in an emergency.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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