Drunk hammer attacker targeted 'foreigners'

A drunk attacker who brandished a hammer as he confronted two men for looking like "foreigners" has been jailed for two years.

One of the victims broke his shin bone and damaged knee ligaments when he fell during the violent encounter with Keith Casey, 32, in Byker, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The man said he had fled his homeland many years ago to escape violence so to experience it in the UK had "shaken [him] to his core".

Casey, who already had more than 100 offences on his criminal record, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm unintentionally. The court heard he has also been recalled to prison until 2029 for a previous robbery offence.

The two men were working on a vehicle in a car park on 16 April when Casey, from Byker, marched towards them, prosecutor Susan Hirst said.

He was shouting about them being "foreigners" and "asylum seekers", the court heard, before he picked up a hammer from their tool box and brandished it towards them.

Two passers by tried to intervene, but Casey swung the hammer and smashed the car's windscreen, the court was told.

He then either pushed one of the men to the ground, or the man fell while trying to get away from him, the court heard.

Casey himself was injured when others tried to apprehend him and he was arrested after bouncing off a bush while trying to run away.

In a statement read to the court, the man whose leg was injured said: "I fled my country years ago to try and escape violence.

"Coming to this country and experiencing this has shaken me to my core."

He said the pain was on a level he would not wish on anyone and it would take "years and years of effort to recover."

His friend, whose car was damaged, said they "did not deserve to be attacked".

He said Casey's "racist words" were "deeply upsetting", adding the men were "legally entitled" to live in the UK and "should be able to live our lives without being subjected to abuse and violence".

In mitigation, Kate Barnes said Casey was intoxicated at the time and did "not accept" making racist comments.

Recorder Jonathan Sandiford KC said he was satisfied the "clearly upsetting" comments were made but, given Casey's "extremely intoxicated" state, he might not be a "dyed in the wool racist".

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