A Royal Navy sailor from Anglesey has been fined £400 after subjecting a policewoman to a "horrific" tirade of misogynistic abuse in Belfast. Jac Lloyd Hughes, 25, from Bodorgan on the Isle of Anglesey, also called one of her police colleagues a "Taliban f***er" in an apparent reference to the colour of his skin.
Incident outside Belfast pub
Belfast Magistrates' Court heard how in the early hours of Tuesday morning, October 6, Hughes was found by police after he had been kicked out of a pub on Hill Street in Belfast city centre at around 12.30am. He left the scene, but was located a short time later and put into handcuffs.
It was then that officers learned Hughes was a member of the Royal Navy serving on HMS Queen Elizabeth and was driven back to the vessel, Belfast Live reports. Hughes was initially issued with a community resolution notice for the incident inside the bar but remained volatile during the journey back to the 65,000 tonne ship. The boat is capable of carrying up to 40 fighter jets and had arrived in Belfast Harbour on Wednesday morning.
Abuse during journey
During the journey Hughes shouted a series of derogatory names at a female officer, calling her a "slut", a "f***ing slag" and a "c**t". The abuse continued while waiting in the police car to re-board the ship.
A prosecution lawyer told the court: "He called one officer 'a pig' and made further insensitive and inappropriate comments about the police service and the country. The defendant also referred to (one constable) as a 'Taliban f***er', it is believed this was due to his complexion and dark features, and continued to make racist comments."
Despite being repeatedly asked to calm down, Hughes started to pull and bite at a seat belt in an apparent attempt to break it. He also kicked out towards one of the constables, connecting with his foot, and swore at naval officers boarding the ship.
Previous aggression and sentencing
The court heard how a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Queen Elizabeth told officers Hughes had "previous for aggression". "He stated he did not want the defendant on board the ship due to his aggressive behaviour, and he was disgusted at the behaviour exhibited," the prosecutor added.
Hughes pleaded guilty to assault on police, disorderly behaviour and attempted criminal damage. Defence solicitor Eoghan McKenna said his client should have been grateful to the police officers for treating him sympathetically. "He accepts his behaviour was atrocious, they are a horrific set of facts," Mr McKenna acknowledged.
District Judge Anne Marshall was told naval representatives were present in court and would be confining Hughes to the ship following the criminal proceedings. "He is not to be permitted to leave again and there will then be a further disciplinary process in relation to what occurred on shore," Mr McKenna added. "He is going to have to fight for his employment as a result of this incident."
Due to the sailor's previous clean record, the judge handed Hughes a £400 fine instead of a suspended prison sentence. She said: "This was a very unsavoury and indeed disgraceful incident. I'm very concerned about the misogynistic language, I will not tolerate our police officers being called those offensive terms. Nor will the court tolerate one of the other officers being called a 'Taliban effer'."
