A Midland couple who hurled racial abuse at their neighbour have been jailed for four months.
Michelle and Gary Devey, of Stephenson Avenue, Beechdale, Walsall, admitted racially aggravated public disorder at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Mum Carol Hilton was “terrified” during the two-and-a-half hour verbal attack the couple, who have children, launched on her.
Gary Cook, prosecuting, said that the Deveys woke Mrs Hilton in the middle of the night by standing in their front garden and shouting racist insults to her.
He said 53-year-old Gary Devey then went into his house and came back out with a fishing rod which he used to tap the bedroom window of Mrs Hilton’s home while shouting further abuse.
Mr Cook said the couple then proceeded to come out of their house every ten minutes for two-and-a-half hours to continue their verbal attack.
He said the insults left Mrs Hilton feeling “very scared and nauseous”.
Michael Anning, defending Gary Devey, said the couple were angry because they believed their son had been threatened by Mrs Hilton and her family.
He added: “The language was deeply offensive and he accepts it was not warranted.”
Blondelle Thompson, defending 47-year-old mother-of-four Michelle Devey told the court she was totally ashamed of her actions.
Judge Michael Mott told the couple: “I don’t know whether you are inherently racist or not, but it is hard to believe you are not when the thing you latched onto when you were drunk and angry was this lady’s colour.”
Birmingham Mail
