A drunken Darlington man who launched a vile barrage of racial abuse at people in the street and a shop worker has been locked up for his shocking behaviour.

Robert Sowden launched his tirade at any Asian male who walked past him while standing in the middle of the town centre.

The 49-year-old was heard shouting ‘what the f*** is a P*** doing in the town centre’ and ‘f*** off you P*** c***’ before the police were called.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he was then heard by police officers continuing to verbally abuse people on Tubwell Row before he was arrested on September 1 last year.

Tubwell Row, DarlingtonTubwell Row, Darlington (Image: Google)

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said Sowden was arrested again at the end of the month when he started racially abusing a shop worker when they tried to get him to leave Sainsbury’s in the town centre.

She said: “He has tried to move the male to one side as he had become disruptive within the supermarket and he has then made racial comments.

“He said – ‘no wonder you’re upset after you lost the war, why don’t you f*** off back you P*** b*******?’”

Miss Buck said the defendant was intoxicated on both occasions and had a longstanding problem with his mental health.

Sainsbury's on Victoria Road, DarlingtonSainsbury's on Victoria Road, Darlington (Image: Google)

Sowden, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two racially aggravated public order offences.

Cainan Lonsdale, mitigating, said his client had spent a significant period on remand and any sentence available to the court would be shorter than he had already served.

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He added: “Mr Sowden does have mental health issues and it is a shame that he is reluctant to engage with services and that has been part of his history.”

Judge Francis Laird KC sentenced Sowden to a total of nine weeks in custody for both offences.

“When you are drunk, you are a very unpleasant drunk,” he said. “In Darlington town centre, you were drunk and shouting abuse at Asian people who were just going about their everyday business.

“A few weeks later, you went into a supermarket and once again, you were drunk and racially abused one of the staff who was there to assist customers and he had to endure you, drunk, shouting abuse.”