Racist thug hurled abuse at Hove man

A man who racially abused his Asian victim in the street has been given a 12-month conditional discharge.

Unemployed Darren Arnold, 30, of York Road, Woking, hurled abuse at the 29-year-old man in Blatchington Road, Hove, at about 5pm on 2 April.

Arnold, also known as Steven Kelsey, pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated fear of violence and was given a conditional discharge when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £15 and costs of £250.

Sergeant Peter Allan, the force’s hate crime sergeant, said: “I am pleased the court has convicted the defendant in this case and found the offence to have been racially aggravated.

“This sentence sends out a clear signal that we will take a robust approach to those who target individuals based on their race, disability, gender identity, religion or sexual orientation.

“I hope this case will encourage other victims of hate crime to report such behaviour to the police.

“Hate crime can be reported to us by emailing 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk, calling 101 or dialling 999 in an emergency. For those who wish to report online, you can do so by completing the short form http://bit.ly/1fTDYJh  which is available on our website.”