Two Nazi-sympathising teens targeted a corner shop to assault the Sri Lankan owners.
Judge David Aubrey QC told Robert Phillips, 19, and Michael Walters, 18, their behaviour was “racist and it was despicable and it was upon vulnerable people” as he put them both behind bars.
He added: “You targeted these premises. You inflicted violence upon the proprietors and you shouted thoroughly offensive racist remarks at the proprietors.”
Liverpool crown court heard when the pair were arrested in the wake of the attack, police found offensive material including Nazi symbols and stickers at their homes and on their mobile phones. Philips even had a Adolf Hitler screen saver on his computer.
On the day of the attack, on November 15 last year, the skin-head pair were dressed in army fatigues and boots. They targeted Mathiyaparanam Kokularajan and his wife Komathy as they pulled the security shutters down on their shop, The Corner Store, on Argyle Street South, Birkenhead.
Eric Lamb, prosecuting, told how they ran over the street shouting racist insults. As the couple tried to flee the skin-heads chased them. Philips then pushed Mrs Kokularajan into her husband, before they rained blows on him.
Judge Aubrey, who described Philips as the “ring-leader”, then described how he kicked the couple.
He said: “You even kicked an innocent a woman who was going about her business.
“When I look at you now, it really is almost impossible to find the words for it.”
The judge sent Phillips, of East Prescot Road, Knotty Ash, to a Young Offenders' Institute for 14 months and Walters, of Sandon Road, Wallasey, for eight months after they both admitted common assault.
Gerald Pachter, defending Phillips, told the court there was a different side to his client, whose family were appalled by his actions.
Speaking after the court case Mr Kokularajan described the terrifying attack and said: “We had closed our shop for the evening when we noticed two boys walking straight towards us. They called my wife a p***, kicked her in to the street and hit me around the head. It was shocking because most people are friendly around here.”
Liverpool Echo
