A man who assaulted restaurant staff and threw tables and chairs in front of frightened diners during a vodka-fuelled rampage in London Road last year has been spared jail.
Jason Malik, 21, had drunk a whole bottle of vodka when he got into an argument with someone in Domino’s Pizza who took offence at him looking at their girlfriend.
Malik called the man, who was black, a “dirty n***er” and was wrestled to the ground and kicked in the head.
But he responded by lashing out at everyone around him and trashing furniture during a 45-minute frenzy on October 10 last year.
Prosecuting at Brighton Crown Court, Naomi Edwards described how staff from the Greek restaurant next door, Yefsis, took the brunt of the violence, with the manager, chef and another worker all being assaulted.
Malik went inside Yefsis and was asked to leave, but instead he punched the chef Irgken Mukaj in the face.
Irgken, who is known as George, said he felt pain, dizziness and could taste blood in his mouth.
Manager Michele Colella’s finger was hurt during the scramble when they managed to push Malik out of the door and owner Stavros Stamatakis was also attacked.
Once outside, Malik started throwing tables, chairs and ashtrays at the restaurant window while another staff member, Mr Hawkins, held the door shut so he couldn’t get in.
He took a litter bin and emptied it outside the World’s End Pub.
All this time, he was shouting abuse at passers by, including racial slurs such as n****r, terrorist and white c***.
One witness said he seemed to be saying whatever came into his mind to provoke a reaction from whoever was passing.
Eventually, Malik moved down the road to Fatto a Mano, where he was arrested by police.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Hawkins said he didn’t do anything wrong and he’s concerned about running into Malik again.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Mukaj said that during the incident, he was in genuine fear of violence. He had spent many years in the army and was aware of the warning signs and was concerned by the incident for his members of staff and members of the public who were dining in the restaurant.
He said: “I’m a peace loving person and I avoid any kind of quarrel. This happened without any provocation. It has affected me.”
Malik was originally charged with eight offences including assault, affray, criminal damage and racially aggravated harassment. But after he pleaded guilty to affray, the other seven were dropped.
Mitigating, Hollie Collinge said he acknowledged his behaviour was “atrocious” and that he felt genuine remorse for his actions.
She said the events took place following “an awful lot of alcohol combined with an incident in which he was told by his father to leave the family house.
Following the incident in Domino’s Pizza, she said: “Malik completely lost sight of reality. He had nothing to lose, he had lost control.
“He’s thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour, and is particularly mortified by the language.”
Judge Anne Arnold said: “This is a serious offence during which, as all too often happens in this city, those who work in food outlets late at night providing service to the public who want to go out and enjoy themselves have to tolerate the type of behaviour that you demonstrated.
“It’s not just those who were put in considerable fear of your behaviour but other people in the area at the time trying top enjoy a night out which I am sure was thoroughly spoiled by your behaviour.
“You have taken time to write to the court about understanding or your behaviour and we you expressed genuine remorse.
“You are a young man at the age of 21 relatively immature still and I will tailor the sentence accordingly.”
At the hearing on March 6, Malik was given a ten month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehab days.
He was ordered to pay Yefsis £210 compensation for the damaged chairs and tables, £100 to Mr Stamatakis and £250 to Mr Mukaj. He owes the court another £340 for prosecution costs.
