Man jailed for racist incident

A MAN who racially abused staff at Queensgate Shopping Centre has been jailed for more than a year.

Mohammed Ali, 34, verbally abused cleaning staff at about 6.30pm on March 6, before urinating on the security shutters of John Lewis.

When security staff approached Ali to confront him about his behaviour he was again racially abusive. He was escorted out of the shopping centre where he spat on one of the members of staff and continued to be abusive. When staff attempted to restrain him he produced a knife from a bag he was carrying and stabbed one of the men in the arm causing minor injuries.

Officers attended the scene and Ali, of the High Street, Peterborough, was arrested. He was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, possession of a bladed article in a public place and assault causing actual bodily harm.

The following day (March 7) Ali appeared at Peterborough Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was remanded in custody.

On April 6 he appeared at Peterborough Crown Court and pleaded guilty to the racially aggravated public order offence and possession of a bladed article, but not guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

On Friday (July 14) following a three day trial Ali was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm. He was sentenced to six months in prison for each of the three offences, to run consecutively.

Detective Constable Graham Holmes said: "We will not tolerate this kind of racist and violent behaviour in the county and will do all we can to bring the perpetrators such as Ali to justice."