Kirkdale man sentenced following hate crime in West Derby

We can confirm that a Kirkdale man has been handed a Community Order and ordered to pay compensation following a hate crime incident in West Derby in April.

Graham Kay, 53, of Cockerell Close pleaded guilty to racially aggravated malicious communications; and racially aggravated Section 5 public order. He appeared this week at South Sefton Magistrates Court and was handed the following sentence:
200 hours of unpaid work
Compensation to victim
Other costs 
 
At around 5.15pm on Tuesday 19 April, Kay had a betting dispute while in Ladbrokes on Mill Lane. While still in the shop, Kay called the Ladbrokes call centre and made racial slurs during the call, causing distress to staff and customers. The incident was reported to police the following day.
 
Detective Sergeant Tracy O’Hara said: “This was an appalling incident which happened in full view of other customers and staff, and society as a whole cannot tolerate such abusive behaviour and hateful comments in a public place.
 
“Kay made a full and frank admission and hopefully will now acknowledge the impact that this had on someone trying to do their job, and on those nearby. It will also serve as a deterrent to anyone who would consider behaving in such a way in Merseyside.
 
“Nobody should be expected to receive such abuse over the phone or in person, and we’re committed to taking action when such crimes are reported.”
 
More information on how to report hate crime can be found here: How to report hate crime | Merseyside Police. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.