Elham Asaad Buaras

A 55-year-old man has admitted pulling a face veil (niqab) off a woman in a Sunderland shopping centre before yelling “you are in our country now, you stupid f***ing Muslim”.

Peter Scotter, who has 66 previous convictions for 157 offences, including actual bodily harm, and racially aggravated criminal damage, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault and of racially aggravated harassment.

Ruling on February 6 Judge Stephen Earl said he would sentence him later, once he has heard more details about the diagnosis of a cancerous tumour under Scotter’s tongue.

At a previous hearing, the court heard how Scotter of Beach Street, Sunderland, left his victim terrified when he attacked her in July.

Laura Lax, prosecuting, said the victim was waiting with her nine-year-old son for her husband outside a store in Sunderland’s Bridges shopping centre when a man “purposefully” walked towards her and grabbed her niqab.

The force he used almost threw her to the ground, and the niqab came away from her face, exposing her and causing her pain to the neck.

She remembered being scared but was so shocked she could not remember what was said, magistrates were told.

The niqab was damaged, but she has since repaired it herself.

Lax told the court the victim said afterwards: “This incident has left me scared to go out and I don’t want to go into town again. I am disgusted my nine-year-old son had to witness this.”
Another witness heard Scotter shout: “Here, take that ****** off, you are in our country now, you stupid ******* Muslim.”

When a police officer arrived, Scotter was heard to say: “Our Britain, you live by our ******* rules” before hurling more racist abuse.

He continued to make derogatory comments when he was being interviewed after his arrest.
Scotter had been due to stand trial for the niqab offences next month.