Man told a police officer to ‘burn in hell’ during racially aggravated abuse at Sunderland Royal Hospital

William John Thomas Goulden, 49, of Riversdale Terrace, also called the officer a foul name as he was being placed in a police vehicle.

South Tyneside Magistrates Court heard that when he carried out this harassment in July, Goulden was already on a suspended sentence for a similar racially aggravated crime.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Sunderland Royal Hospital and was jailed for 23 weeks.

Rachel Glover, prosecuting, said officers were called to hospital to arrest two females.

She said: “The defendant was walking around drinking a can of cider.

“He was shouting and swearing at the officers, telling them if they were going to arrest his friends he was going to kick off.”

He was asked to leave several times but wouldn’t and was arrested.

Ms Glover said: “When the police placed him in the back of the vehicle, he was then shouting towards one of the police officers that he was a foreign b*****d and hoping he would burn in hell and all his family burn in hell.”

She read out a victim statement from the officer, which said: “I do not come to work to be racially abused and threatened. I find his behaviour to be unacceptable.”

He said if no action is taken against people who abuse emergency service workers that sends out the wrong message.

He said: “Racial hatred has no place in our communities.”

Alastair Naismith, defending, said in the months following this incident Goulden has been making good progress with the help of probation services and is addressing his drinking issues.

He said: “When this incident with the officer happened, I’ve seen the body camera footage, he was incredibly drunk, he could hardly stand.

“He recognises that when he gets drunk, he gets into trouble.

“I believe he is making good progress and the probation services believe he is making good progress.”

Magistrates jailed him for a total of 23 weeks, and he was ordered to pay £115 in compensation.