A man who spewed anti-semitic abuse at a Jewish wedding reception at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel has been handed an 18-month community order with 300 hours of unpaid work.
Joseph Nixon, 43, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, returned to the hotel in the early hours of September 15 last year and confronted Jack Surpree, who had been best man at the wedding, Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard on Monday, October 26.
Confrontation at the wedding reception
Louise Coe, prosecuting, said Mr Surpree left his brother's wedding reception in a function room of the hotel with his teenage sister at about 12.45am and was in the reception area when he was approached by Nixon and another man.
Nixon was said to have asked him whether he supported Palestine and then, after Mr Surpree ignored him, whether he supported Israel. The court heard Mr Surpree then "clearly" heard him say: "You Jewish b*******."
In a statement, Mr Surpree said he went to take his phone out of his jacket pocket and saw the man's facial expression change, which made him "fear he was going to become violent" towards him and his sister. He said the two men then entered the function room where he could hear "aggressive" shouts of "Jews are murderers" and "you guys are killing babies".
Victim impact and sentencing
The incident was said to have lasted seven to eight minutes before Nixon was arrested. In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Surpree said: "I remember feeling shocked. I had never been the victim of hate before that day."
Describing looking into Nixon's eyes, he said: "In that moment all I could see was hatred and evil." He said he had seen Nixon "storm" into the privately-hired hall. He said: "He decided to continue his hate spree."
Mr Surpree said his parents had saved "for years" for the wedding and his sister-in-law told him she had waited "her whole life" for the day and did not "want it to be remembered like this". He said he now felt nervous attending large Jewish gatherings. He added: "He chose to target me because I am Jewish. He chose to bring hatred into what should have been one of the happiest days of my life."
Defence and outcome
Simon Pook, defending, said at the time of the incident Nixon was under "serious and significant stress" as he was caring for his elderly parents, who later died, and his marriage was breaking down. He said: "He has witnessed and experienced discrimination for being Irish and, second, for being Catholic."
He told the court Nixon, who works as a chef, had come to Liverpool for a break from stress and did not normally drink, but had been drinking at the time of the incident. Mr Pook said: "He is ashamed of the comments he made. He is ashamed of his conduct. That is not who he is and he has full empathy for Mr Surpree for the distress he has caused him."
Nixon was found guilty after a trial of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment. Magistrates handed him an 18-month community order, with 300 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay a £114 surcharge, £650 court costs and £150 compensation to Mr Surpree.
