A woman apologised to an Asian police officer in the crown court today (Monday, July 8) after she had made a racist comment about him.
Ayse Johnson, 34, of Filton House, Oxhey Drive, Watford, claimed she had been the victim of racism when she was arrested at her home by two officers.
She was captured on body-worn police cameras arguing with a white officer after she was taken off a van at the police station, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Damian Warburton said she was argumentative with the white officer and called him “racist scum”.
When he looked across to his colleague, she referred to him as “your P*** friend”.
Ms Johnson was due to stand trial on a charge of a racially aggravated public order offence, but after she apologised in court to the officer the prosecutor accepted her plea of guilty to the lesser public order offence of using threatening words or behaviour on December 12, 2021.
Ms Johnson told the Asian officer: “I sincerely apologise for the words I used. I didn’t mean to cause offence or offend. I have received racial abuse, being of dual heritage. I realise how hurtful it can be.”
Defending, Paul Webb said: “She had a dispute with a neighbour in which she was assaulted. Someone grabbed her hair. She wanted the police officers to view doorbell footage and she was upset the officers were dismissive.
“She was in a highly emotional state and felt others were the main wrong-doers. She felt she was being singled out.”
Mr Webb said she was ashamed of the language used and was extremely remorseful.
He said it was an isolated incident that happened two-and-a-half years ago.
“This could have been resolved at a much earlier stage,” he said.
Judge Lana Wood said: “Nobody goes to work to be insulted. The police do a difficult job – being shouted at in the way you did increases their stress levels and makes their job more difficult than it should be.”
The judge said the defendant knew the word she used was “unpleasant and insulting”.
She ordered Ms Johnson to pay £100 compensation, £100 fine and £1,000 costs.
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