A MAN launched a foul-mouthed racist attack on a Bulgarian taxi driver despite spending the day with Bulgarian friends.

Mark Crabbe, 57, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive and insulting words at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday (March 18).

The court heard how Crabbe, of Lightfoot Street, Chester, launched a verbal assault on Svilen Slaven, a Bulgarian national, in Chester city centre on the evening of March 1, before using homophobic language to abuse a police officer conducting a routine search following his arrest.

Rob Youds, prosecuting, told the court Crabbe was exiting McDonalds on Foregate Street where a woman was seen getting in a taxi driven by Mr Slavev. Falsely believing Mr Slavev to be of middle-eastern origin, he was then heard shouting "Don't take this taxi, it's driven by a f****** P**i Muslim."

The incident was seen by an off-duty chief constable of Wiltshire Police, who warned Crabbe that his actions could lead to him getting arrested.

To which Crabbe responded by yelling: "I'm white British, why not? He is not, he is a f****** P**i."

A brief struggle ensued, and security from McDonald's intervened, before Crabbe was arrested by active duty police officers a short time later.

Mr Youds told the court that upon his arrest, PC Hackett attempted to conduct a routine search of Crabbe. When PC Hackett began to search the area around his midriff, Crabbe shouted: "You f****** gay. You're a f****** k***, do you want to touch my c***?".

Mr Youds told the court how the incident has affected Mr Slavev to the extent that it makes him want to move back to Bulgaria.

Richard Thomas, defending, told the court Crabbe, who has 22 prior convictions for 32 offences, had not had anything to eat and had drunk more alcohol than usual while out with Bulgarian friends.

He said: "He (Crabbe) is absolutely horrified with the way he behaved that day. He is extremely sorry and couldn't be more remorseful.

"He'd been drinking all day and had not been in work for a couple of weeks due to a wrist injury. In that time he had watched a lot of news, especially news centred around Shamima Bagum, of which he was very angry about.

"He knows he is far too old to be getting into these type of incidents, and there is nothing to suggest there was anything that went beyond verbal abuse."

Roy Baron, chair of the magistrates, said: "Normally, we would impose a fine for public order offences, but the racist and homophobic nature of the outburst makes this case much more serious.

"The distasteful element of the language used means we have no choice but to punish you by way of a community penalty."

Crabbe has been ordered to complete 35 days of rehabilitation with the probation service, alongside 100 hours of unpaid work.

He has also been ordered to pay £85 court costs, £85 victim surcharge, plus £100 compensation each to Mr Slavev and PC Hackett, total costs of £370.