Elham Asaad Buaras

A 65-year-old man was jailed for 12 weeks after he went on an Islamophobic rant at a McDonald’s employee at a branch in Langley Green, West Sussex.

Patrick Maughan has been jailed after asking an assistant manager Mohamed Mahroof if he was going to chop off his head.

Drunken Maughan would not stop harassing Mahroof of the restaurant by making reference to the ISIS-style beheadings.

Maughan then mimicked the way Muslim people pray.

Upon appearing at Crawley Magistrates’ Court, Maughan pleaded guilty to the unprovoked attack towards Mahroof and security guard Mansoor Bahar in June.

Melanie Wotton, prosecuting, said: “At about 7 pm Maughan went into McDonald’s where Mr Mahroof was working as an assistant manager and Mr Bahar as a security guard.

“Maughan leant over the counter and read Mr Mahroof’s name badge before asking him ‘Are you Mohamed?’ and adding, ‘Are you a Muslim’?

“Maughan then said, “I’m Christian, you are a Muslim, do you want to chop off my head’? and he made a gesture across his throat to show a beheading. ”

He was asked to leave, but after turning away, he returned to the counter to harass Mahroof.

Wotton added: “Speaking to Mr Mahroof, Maughan again said, “You Muslim, you want to chop off my head”.”

“He then knelt down and pretended to pray to mimic how a Muslim would pray.”

The court heard Maughan was given a 15-month community order in June for a separate incident of racially aggravated harassment.

Maria Kempshall, Chair of the bench of magistrates, said: “These offences are so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.

“These were aggravated offences of harassment of a racial nature against two people carrying out their employment in a public place. This was also the second similar racially aggravated offence you have committed in a short time span.”