Pakistani race relations officer called policeman a white pig

Daily Mail:

A race relations officer narrowly escaped a prison term today for failing to provide a specimen for analysis and calling a police officer a "white pig".

Muzaffar Hussain Chowdhury, who works for the Bridgend Community Cohesion Group of south Wales, was instead sentenced to a 12-month community supervision order and banned from driving for five years.

Chowdhury, 63, of Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, south Wales, was charged with failing to provide a specimen and a racially aggravated offence contrary to Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 following an incident outside a pub on September 1.

Bridgend Magistrates' Court heard that when police officers arrived at the Swan Inn, Nottage, in Porthcawl, over a dispute between Chowdhury and a father and daughter following a car prang, they were met with abusive language.

Pc Scott Howe of South Wales Police was told to "F*** off, you white b****** pig" by Chowdhury when he asked him to take a breathalyser test.

The court heard that despite warning Chowdhury about his language, Pc Howe was repeatedly called a "white b******".

Following his arrest, Chowdhury told the officers: "You don't know who you are dealing with." He added: "One phone call and I will be out."

Prosecuting solicitor David Roberts said: "There is an aggravating feature to this matter. The reason being is that Mr Chowdhury is a race relations officer for Bridgend Community Cohesion Group.

"Clearly he is a spokesman for racial issues in this area.

"The Crown would say that Mr Chowdhury is using and abusing racial language towards fellow members of the cohesion group, namely the police.

"Quite frankly the behaviour is disgusting and language like that shouldn't be used."

Ciaran Gould, defending, said: "He (Chowdhury) is of Pakistani origin and knows what it is like to be abused.

"He has been beaten up in the past and that is why he finds it hard to accept he said those things.

"This was not an attempt to get out of a drink driving offence as there is no evidence to say that he had been drinking before the incident [with the cars] occurred.

"He believed because he had been drinking since the accident and had not been in the car, he thought he did not have to provide a sample."

She added: "He (Chowdhury) has a great deal of regret over the incident and the effect it has had not only on himself but also to members of the community at large.

"He accepts his behaviour on the night was not acceptable."

Chowdhury, who was convicted in 1986 for actual bodily harm and assaulting a police officer, also has two previous convictions for drink driving.

He also received a caution in July 2003 for a public order offence.

Chowdhury admitted failing to provide a specimen at the first court hearing and pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour on the morning he was due to stand trial earlier this month.

District Judge Anthony Smith said: "You of all people should know the effect of racial abuse. Those were disgusting comments to the police officer and I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

"I'm not going to send you to prison but don't think I didn't think about it, because I did."

Race relations worker abused Pc