A man who carried out a series of violent and racially abusive attacks over three months, including striking a stranger in a pub with a hammer, has been jailed for 18 months.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Rasheed Jama, 20, of no fixed abode, assaulted a man at Penarth Labour Club on September 11, 2025, while on police bail. He entered the club armed with a hammer and immediately hit Ryan Cotterill, who was unknown to him, on the head in an unprovoked attack, before leaving. Blood was seen pouring from the victim's head.
The court also heard that on June 20, 2025, police were called to the Rhoose area of Cardiff where Jama was seen trying to climb over fences and was 'foaming at the mouth'. He was taken to hospital but became abusive, using racial slurs, making threats including 'heil Hitler', 'kill the Jews', and 'I will rape someone tonight', and biting and spitting at officers. One officer was left with bruising and stiffness, while another was bitten and spat at.
In a separate incident on August 28, 2025, Jama threatened to stab shop workers in the neck at Foot Locker in St David's Shopping Centre, and later threatened to rape a female police officer. He used racial slurs towards another officer, described in a victim impact statement as 'disgusting and vulgar'.
Jama pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated assault, assaulting an emergency worker, assault, and possession of an offensive weapon. Sentencing, Judge Christopher Felstead said: 'You're depressingly young for someone with this many convictions and this level of entrenched behaviour... You must change course or you will be spending much of your time in prison.'
A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the hammer, and Jama must pay a £187 victim surcharge. Paul Jenkins, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Hate crimes, of any form, are abhorrent and have no place in our society.'
