Drunken ex soldier mooned at Leeds police officer before hurling racial abuse
A drunken ex soldier bared his backside to a police officer on a street where children played, before swearing and hurling vile racial abuse.
David Whittingham, who was heavily in drink, directed the sick comments to the officer, calling him a “p**** b******”.
Leeds Crown Court heard it was the second time the 43-year-old had made such comments to the same police officer.
Whittingham admitted charges of exposure and racially-aggravated intentional harassment.
The court heard that he had come out of his house on Tong Green in Farnley on June 3 last year, saw the officer so pulled down his clothes, shouted at him and mooned at him - directing his backside towards him.
Children had been in a garden opposite so the officer approached Whittingham, who began to verbally abuse the officer.
At one point the officer thought he was going to spit at him, so pushed his head away, prosecutor Michael Smith told the court.
Whittingham threatened to knock him out and called him names. As other members of the public intervened to calm the situation, Whittingham said: “I hate p*****, they are taking over the country.”
The abuse, caught on camera, was played to the court where he was saying to to the officer: “F*** you, you smelly p**** b******.”
He could be heard saying he had served in the Army for 10 years and continued to swear.
Whittingham later gave a no-comment interview to police.
He has seven previous convictions for 10 offences, including two for being drunk and disorderly, affray and the racially-aggravated offending from last year when he abused two police officers - one being the complainant in his latest case.
For that he was given a 16-week suspended sentence.
Mitigating for his latest offending, Zarreen Alam-Cheetham said: “He fully accepts his behaviour was out of order. He is appalled at the language he has used.
“The level of intoxication is apparent on the video. He displays as a very different individual when not under the influence of alcohol.
“There’s a common theme in his offending. He has always been in an intoxicated state.”
She said Whittingham, now of Lower Green, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire, has managed to stay away from alcohol and has not offended since.
He served in the Army and completed tours of Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, but was left suffering PTSD by his experiences.
Judgen Ray Singh told Whittingham is was “vile abuse” and said there seemed to be no remorse, noticing he was shaking his head while in the dock.
He told hm: “Your behaviour was unforgiveable. I’m not sure you have learned your lesson.”
He gave him a 16-week sentence, suspended for two years and ordered he must complete 10 rehabilitation days.