[Gayle Herald | Plymouth Herald]
“I do pole dancing for fitness. There was a pole in there [the club] so I was showing them some of the basic moves…What he was saying towards us was really offensive, especially to a group of black people.”
A “vile” reveller hurled racial abuse at a group of young black people after filming one of them pole dancing at a nightclub in Plymouth, a court has heard.
Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard Soufian Ben Mohamed, also known as Khalid, referred to the revellers as “f*****g n*****s”, “sluts” and “whores” in the early hours of November 19.
The court heard the 35-year-old, originally from Mauritania in West Africa near Morocco, first encountered the group at Crash Manor on Union Street.
Giving evidence the victim of his taunts, said: “I do pole dancing for fitness. There was a pole in there [the club] so I was showing them some of the basic moves.
Dr Richardo Childs, prosecuting, said the defendant “took a swing” at the woman’s female friend after she attempted to take his phone from him.
He was ejected from the club at 1.30am but caught up with the group at about 4am on New George Street and continued shouting abuse, the court heard.
The victim described the abuse as “vile” and said he was goading her and her friends.
She said: “What he was saying towards us was really offensive, especially to a group of black people.”
Asked how it made her feel, she said: “Intimidated, scared and offended, deeply offended”.
Ben Mohamed, of Cum Level Road, Swansea, was arrested by plain clothes police officers on New George Street.
The court heard he told one officer: “I’m n****r. I’m black. I said n****r, my n****r.”
Ben Mohamed, who spoke via a translator, denied saying “n****r”.