A Sunderland man has admitted pulling a niqab off a Muslim woman and subjecting her to a tirade of racial abuse.
Peter Scotter shouted “you are in our country now” when he attacked his victim, who was with her young son at Bridges shopping centre in Sunderland.
The 55-year-old admitted racially aggravated assault by beating and racially aggravated harassment.
He has 66 previous convictions and was told he was facing a jail sentence.
Judge Stephen Earl heard the victim was standing outside the shopping centre in July when Scotter grabbed her veil, almost throwing her to the ground.
Laura Lax, prosecuting, said the attack had left the victim feeling as if she could not go out.
Miss Lax told the court the victim said afterwards: “This incident has left me scared to go out and I don’t want to go into town again. I am disgusted my nine-year-old son had to witness this.”
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Another witness heard Scotter shout: “Here, take that ****** off, you are in our country now, you stupid ******* Muslim.”
Scotter was also heard to say: “Our Britain, you live by our ******* rules” before coming out with more racist abuse.
When a police officer arrived, Scotter was being spoken to by a security guard and the defendant tried to walk away.
Scotter’s previous convictions include actual bodily harm and racially aggravated criminal damage.
