Anti-Semitic abuse in Southport pub shook man to core, court told
- Published
The man said he was anxious about wearing his kippah, a skullcap worn by some Jewish men (above), outside as a result of the abuse
A man who was subjected to anti-Semitic abuse in a pub has told a court it "shook him to his core" and left him "very anxious about wearing a kippah".
Merseyside Police said Edward Ossian verbally attacked the man in Southport's Beer Inn on 21 September.
The man told Sefton Magistrates' Court the abuse had impacted his family life and made him question where he felt safe.
Ossian was handed a 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.
The 68-year-old, of Norwood Avenue, Southport, admitted racially and religiously aggravated harassment.
In a statement to the court, the man he targeted said the "comments said to me shook me to my core".
"I should be able to go out without the stress of being verbally berated," he said.
"The incident has impacted on my daily life.
"I have changed my routines to avoid any further confrontation.
"It has impacted on my family life and where I feel safe to go."
The man was abused in the Beer Inn in Southport
He said he now felt "very anxious" about wearing his kippah, a skullcap worn by some Jewish men, outside "because the stress of anti-Semitism and all that comes with being openly Jewish today".
Ossian was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
He was also handed a three-year restraining order and ordered to wear an electronic tag for eight weeks.
Speaking after sentencing, Det Insp Matthew Kerr said hate crime "simply will not be tolerated" on Merseyside.
"Ossian will now have a criminal record and the consequences of this in the future could prove to be significant," he said.
He added that the force "take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously".
"I would like to take this opportunity to reassure people that we have specially trained officers who investigate cases with a view to robust action being taken against offenders," he said.
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