A PUNK rocker about to launch an anti-racism album has admitted being racist towards a Turkish man outside his home.

Mike Hammond, prosecuting at York Magistrates Court said Stevie Ze Suicide verbally abused the Turkish takeaway owner as he clenched a fist.

When the Turkish man asked the reason, he replied: “Because you don’t speak English”.

The punk rocker’s solicitor, Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks, said his client was about to make a new release in which he was promoting “music against racism”.

In the circumstances “it had been difficult for him to acknowledge he has committed an offence of this sort,” she said. “It is so out of character for him.”

The 58-year-old musician, a former member of UK Subs, was charged under his real name Steve Roberts, of Fern Street, The Groves. He pleaded guilty to racial abuse and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Mr Hammond said the Turkish man was delivering leaflets door-to door-in Fern Street to promote his takeaway business on September 20. Roberts came out of his home and threw a leaflet back at him.

The takeaway owner told him to calm down and said he would take the leaflet away if he did not want it. But the musician responded by calling him names. Despite continued attempts by the Turkish man to calm him down, Roberts made angry and racist comments and was aggressive.

Mrs Robins-Hicks said Roberts could not remember anything about the incident. He had had difficulty adapting to a “normal” life after travelling the country with his rock band and knew at first-hand what it felt like to experience discrimination as a “member of an unique group”.