Kai Ozanne, 24, of Burnt Lane, St Peter Port, admitted behaving in a disorderly manner at China China Town in The Bordage, St Peter Port, when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
The court heard how the incident happened at 12.45am on a Sunday morning. The two victims were entering the takeaway when they heard the defendant, who was standing with friends outside, make a comment which they believed was directed at them.
‘This is why we need to vote Reform, and I want my island back,’ he said.
When one of the victims turned towards him, Ozanne asked him who he was looking at and said there should not be any immigration.
He then made another racially abusive remark towards one of the men before raising a finger and walking off up the street.
Another person in the takeaway apologised to the men for the way they had been treated and the matter was reported to police.
Following his arrest 10 days later, the defendant said in interview that he had had a lot to drink that night. He claimed that one of the men had abused him earlier in Mill Street. When shown the CCTV, which included audio, he accepted that it was him on it but said one of the men had escalated the situation by staring at him.
Defending, Advocate Sarah Morgan said that while this was a racially aggravated offence, alcohol was at the root of it, though that was not an excuse.
Judge Gary Perry said perhaps the drink had bought into the open the views that her client already held.
Advocate Morgan said the probation service had found that his behaviour had been resulted from ignorance, anger and alcohol abuse and not through any hate-based views.
Judge Perry said this sort of behaviour was never acceptable in Guernsey and the courts took it very seriously.
The defendant claimed he held no racist views, yet the judge rejected that when the first things he could say in an argument involved race, colour and ethnicity.
One aspect of the penalty would be a probation order for a period of 12 months.
‘I want the Probation Service to help you address your underlying beliefs, which are inaccurate, un-evidenced and hostile towards visitors to the island,’ he told him.
The defendant did not have a good record and he had breached a community service order that was imposed in 2022.
Ozanne was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and to pay £200 to each of the two men who had to suffer his behaviour.
