An Exeter man who threatened pizza takeaway staff he would stab and kill them, kicking and punching a door, has been ordered to pay compensation after appearing in court.
A 23-year-old man has appeared in court after causing £700 worth of damage at Fireaway Pizza and telling staff he would kill them and burn the place down, writes Isabelle Pinnock, OPCC court reporting scheme.
Joshua Williamson, of Hazel Road, Exeter, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated provocation of violence and racially aggravated criminal damage from July 13 last year.
The court heard Williamson entered the restaurant on Fore Street in the early hours of the morning, appearing intoxicated.
After a disagreement with staff, he left briefly before returning in a highly aggressive state. The court heard he was shouting, swearing and challenging staff to fight.
The abuse ranged from calling staff “immigrant b*****ds” and “Turkish f***s” to racist and homophobic slurs. He also made threats to burn the site down and threatened to stab and kill staff members.
He then headbutted the counter and began punching and kicking the door to the premises, causing £700 worth of damage.
The prosecution said the incident lasted about ten minutes and that Williamson caused at least three staff members to fear for their safety, before police arrived and arrested him.
Jeremy Harris, defending, said: “The young man I have met, his demeanour is very much at odds with the behaviour that is described in the plea summary… He is deeply ashamed of his behaviour.”
Harris added that Williamson had been “deeply upset” on the night as his grandfather was “dealing with a serious illness”.
“He doesn’t class himself a racist,” Harris said. “He is not, I would submit, an ideological racist.”
Williamson’s father appeared in the public gallery to support him.
As the magistrates imposed the sentence, the defendant cried in the dock.
Williamson was handed a 12-month community order with a mental health treatment requirement and rehabilitation activity days. He must also wear an alcohol monitoring tag and pay £700 compensation to Fireaway Pizza.
