A drug addict who racially abused a shop owner for no reason before assaulting a street ranger who tried to help him has been warned to mend his ways or he’ll spend many years in prison – or be dead by 40.
Danny Hook went into a phone shop in King Street in Truro while high on heroin and alcohol and proceeded to insult its owner purely because of his religion, telling him he shouldn’t be in Britain because he is Muslim and that “all Muslims are paedophiles”.
A sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court today (Thursday, January 16) was told that Hook had been serving a suspended sentence when he committed this offence on May 23 last year and, less than two months after, committed two more offences of thefts from Tesco in Penzance where he stole more than £500 worth of alcohol in two days.
The court was told that the 37-year-old from Redruth, went into the phone shop in Truro and verbally abused its owner. The altercation and racist abuse was reported to Devon and Cornwall Police by members of the public for its distressing nature.
When Truro’s street ranger Garin Evans attended the shop, Hook assaulted him as he tried to help him.
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When arrested by police, Hook first made a no-comment interview and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him but later changed his plea to guilty at magistrates’ court in relation to one count of using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress, another charge of racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment and a third charge of assault by beating.
In his defence, his barrister said Hook had been an addict for many years, had suffered from a terrible upbringing and childhood but had shown a willingness to change his ways and engage with the various probation services to kick his drug habit and stop re-offending.
He told the court that on the last occasion, Hook had gone back to his old ways of street homelessness and addiction but now had accommodation sorted and was on a daily methadone script to manage his drug habit.
His barrister added: “These are wholly unpleasant offences but he had nowhere to live and a crushing addiction and complex mental health issues. Probation services want to continue to work with him. To send this man to prison would undo all the good work he has already made.
“Having been homeless before, his actions evidence his motivation for changing his ways.”
His Honour Judge Simon Carr said Hook’s criminal record was appalling, mainly involving dishonesty and violence because of his addiction to Class A drugs.
With regards to the offences in Truro, Judge Carr said: “This offence has no excuse at all. It was simply appalling. To then assault someone who came to help is a disgraceful offence.
“But you have made some efforts. These offences had been made before you found accommodation. You have stopped using street drugs and are attending all your meetings with the various services. It is because of that and that alone that I will pass a suspended sentence. It would not achieve anything to send you to prison and you can achieve more in the community.
“Come off the wagon at all, and I will add up each sentence and you will go to prison for many years.”
Hook was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for two year and 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
Judge Carr added: “Make me see that the last five months was not a blip or you will spend many years at Exeter prison or risk being dead by 40.”
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