Nightclub burglar racially abused delivery driver who caught him in the act - Leeds Crown Court

A burglar racially abused a delivery driver who witnessed him carrying out a break-in at a West Yorkshire nightclub.
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Richard Hunter-Smith also used a weapon to smash the driver's windscreen during the incident outside Big Fellas, in Pontefract.

-> Masked robbers reverse through toy store window to grab games consolesLeeds Crown Court heard Hunter-Smith forced open a metal shutter to get into the property, on Beastfair, in the early hours of October 26 this year.

The owner was alerted after an alarm was triggered.

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He was able to access CCTV footage on his phone which showed the defendant dragging items from the nightclub into an alleyway.

Paul Nicholson, prosecuting, said Hunter-Smith took a till and a pot washing machine.

Electrical damage worth £5,000 was also caused.

Mr Nicholson said a newspaper courier stopped his van close to the premises as Hunter-Smith was outside with the stolen property.

Hunter-Smith approached the man and said to him: "You better not say owt".

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He then shouted racial abuse at him and accused him of filming the burglary.

The defendant used a piece of metal to smash the windscreen of his van.

Police stopped Hunter-Smith as he walked towards Featherstone at 3.45am

The prosecutor said Hunter-Smith began "growling and swearing" at officers as he was arrested.

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He spat in a officer's face when he was taken to a police station.

-> The Leeds communities set to be bulldozed for HS2 demolitionThe officer later gave a statement about the incident, saying: "It is a vile and disgusting act and utterly degrading."

Hunter-Smith, of no fixed adress, pleaded guilty burglary, racially aggravated common assault and criminal damage and assaulting a constable.

The court heard he has long criminal record which includes offences of robbery and blackmail.

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Richard Canning, mitigating, said Hunter-Smith had pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage.

He was jailed for 14 months.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "It is one of the most hurtful experiences that a person can have, being subjected to racial or religious abuse.

"You would not appreciate that because, perhaps, you have never been subjected to that.

"These are serious offences."