Machete-wielding thug jailed for threatening Muslim taxi driver outside Justin Bieber concert

Shaun Murray, 27. (Image credit: Wales News Service)

A man has been jailed for wielding a machete and threatening a Muslim taxi driver during an Islamophobic rant outside a Justin Bieber concert in Cardiff.

Shaun Murray, 27, drove from Newcastle to Wales to take his younger brother to see pop-star Justin Bieber in June.

However, he resorted to an Islamophobic rant outside the Principality stadium when a Muslim taxi driver asked him to move his car.

Murray pulled out a machete which he had in his car and shouted: “They are dirty Muslims, they are baby killers, they carry nail bombs.”

Bystanders tackled him to the ground and he was arrested moments after.

On Monday, Murray was jailed for ten months for possession of an offensive weapons and aggravated threats.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the incident occurred an hour before gates when he started shouting in front of hundreds of young fans.

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The court also heard how Murray pulled the 12-inch machete from his car before he was restrained by bystanders.

Prosecutors stated that Murray had been before the courts for 41 previous offences, including battery, burglary, theft and possession of offensive weapons.

Prosecutor Ian Kolvin said: “Murray had been visiting Cardiff having come down from Newcastle to go to a concert. He was seen to have a machete.

“In the course of his behaviour, he also made comments demonstrating religious hostility.”

Mr Kolvin added: “His manner and behaviour was extremely aggressive, he told the taxi driver to ‘f*cking move your car’.

“He did so repeatedly and called him a mother f*cker.”

Mr Kolvin said other taxi drivers tried to calm Murray down but he continued to be threatening, Islamophobic and abusive.

He shouted to the cabbie: “You shouldn’t be in this country!”

The prosecutor added: “He was then seen to have what appeared to be a machete.

Murray went on to scream: “They are dirty Muslims, they are baby killers, they carry nail bombs If you don’t move your car I’m going to chop you’.”

Photos taken at the scene showed Murray being arrested after he was restrained by doormen from a nearby pub.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “You became almost immediately violent and abusive.

“When the taxi driver was trying to reason with you, you told him to f*ck off, f*cking go back to your own country.

“Anyone behaving in the way you did, using words that you did is by the very nature a racist. The words you used in public were deeply offensive.”

Kevin Seal, defending, said although Murray waved the machete around, the weapon never left its sheath.

Mr Seal said: “He accepts he used racial comments against those who were there and he regrets those.

“He is not a person who considers himself to be racist. He has friends of different ethnic minorities where he lives, but he accepts the comments he used on that day were racist.

“The red mist came down and he behaved in a way he accepts was inappropriate.”

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