A TAVISTOCK man who shouted racial abuse at a group of Oriental children in the town?s McDonald?s restaurant this week avoided a custodial sentence, after he appeared before Plymouth Magistrates Court. The court heard Anthony Rowe, 25, of Ransum Way, had been in the restaurant with his two children on October 27 last year when the group of 12 children, aged between six and 13, had entered with Andy Lai, an off-duty police officer from Hampshire. He had brought the children in for a meal after a trip on Dartmoor. The court heard one of Mr Rowe?s children had been knocked over as the group entered the restaurant ? Mr Rowe began swearing at the group and shouted racially abusive words at Mr Lai, who produced his warrant card. The magistrates heard the children became upset and Mr Rowe was ordered to leave by the restaurant manager ? the defendant then stood outside making cutting gestures across his throat at Mr Lai and putting his fingers to his temple in the shape of a gun. The police were called and Mr Rowe was arrested. The court heard in a separate incident, Mr Rowe had sent threatening phone and text messages to a friend of his partner. Mr Rowe initially pleaded not guilty to charges of racial harrassment and harrassment, but later changed his pleas to guilty. Adrian Hill, defending, said Mr Rowe had a valium and alcohol problem but had been making good progress following treatment. He said his client accepted his behaviour was ?totally cunacceptable?. District judge Paul Farmer said the racial aggravation was one of the worst types he had ever heard and that his starting point had been custody. But on reading probation reports, he sentenced Mr Rowe to 160 hours unpaid work in the community, an 18-month supervision order, including a requirement to attend the Think First programme and ordered him to pay £90 costs. He was also given a two-year restraining order against the woman he harrassed.
