A RACIST armed himself with a crowbar and hid outside a convenience store so that he could challenge one of its staff at closing time, York Crown Court heard.

Five minutes earlier, Christopher John Chaplin, 27, had been one of three drunken men staggering around inside the Sainsbury’s store close to Fulford Road Police Station late on March 5.

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, said when the security guard asked them to leave, Chaplin told him: “Shut up with your foreign accent” and “You don’t know who I am. I know some big people in York.”

The security guard managed to get the group out, but when he left the store at closing time, he saw Chaplin with a crowbar.

“Come on then,” Chaplin said, waving the crowbar.

The security guard got back into the shop with two other members of staff and police were called.

In a personal statement, the security guard said: “I don’t expect to be abused like that when I am doing my job. It is completely unacceptable behaviour.”

Chaplin’s solicitor Graham Parkin said he had no explanation for his actions and he was “extremely sorry for what has happened”.

Chaplin, of Waincroft, Strensall, pleaded guilty to a public order offence and a racial possession of an offensive weapon in public.

He was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on condition he does 150 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitative activities and observes a nightly curfew from 8pm to 5.30am for three months.

He was also ordered to pay the security guard £250 compensation and banned from the store for three years under a restraining order.

Mr Parkin said Chaplin had behaved out of character and that some of his work colleagues were in court to support him. He had been homeless at the time because of the break-up of his relationship.

One of the other shop employees in her statement said she was scared to walk home for fear she should see Chaplin.