Football fan hurled racial abuse on train (From York Press)

Football fan Paul Raine hurled racial abuse on train

8:35am Saturday 14th July 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A football fan who butted a railway employee and hurled racial abuse at a young family on a train has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Paul Andrew Raine must also pay £400 compensation to train staff member Steven Tiffin who was called in by passengers to deal with his foul-mouthed tirade against a couple of Asian appearance and their youngsters.

The incident happened as Raine was returning home to York from a football match in the London area on the day York City secured a place in the play-offs away at Braintree Town, south Essex, at the end of last season. It was also the day of the Arsenal-Chelsea and QPR-Tottenham London derbies.

Katy Vowles, prosecuting, told York magistrates as the East Coast Kings Cross to Newcastle service reached Peterborough at about 9pm on April 21, Raine said: “I was born in this country, I will do what I like.”

He was sitting with large bottles of brandy and coke, swearing continually and singing to music on his iPod headphones.

He turned to the young family, threatened them to fight them and regretted the fact that his bottle of coke was made of plastic, not glass. “Go home,” he told them.

Other passengers tried to calm him down, and when that failed, they fetched a member of staff from the buffet car.

Raine responded to Mr Tiffin’s arrival by saying “I haven’t done anything, I’m not going with anyone”, jumping up and butting the train employee without provocation. He also pushed him several times in the chest.

Raine, 41, a glass-cutter, of Coggan Close, South Bank, pleaded guilty to assault, racial abuse and a public order offence.

He was given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for two years on condition he does 12 months’ supervision and 200 hours’ unpaid work. He must also pay £85 prosecution costs as well as the compensation.

His solicitor, Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks, said: “He is embarrassed to be before the court in these circumstances. He doesn’t hold any racist views. It was a complete aberration.”

He had a lot to drink and wanted to apologise to everyone concerned.