Rig worker’s topless tirade

An offshore rig worker ripped his shirt off and racially abused two bar staff in a central London pub, a court heard.

Alastair Campbell, 50, shouted abuse at Himanshu Pande and Sterling Burke in a drunken rage at The Champion in Fitzrovia, on September 13 last year.

David Burns, prosecuting, said: ‘Mr Campbell said he was drunk.

‘He engaged with the bar staff and became abusive towards them.

‘Initially he said to Mr Pande, “You Indian f–ker, you don’t know anything.”

‘He then spoke to Mr Burke calling him a smartarse n–ger. Police were then called.

‘Mr Campbell continued to be aggressive to Mr Pande saying, “What are you looking at motherf–er?” taking his shirt off, until the police arrived.’

Campbell’s solicitor, Mohammed Hussein, said Campbell has a south Asian wife with whom he has two children.

‘He does not usually drink but when he does he binges out of control.’

Mr Hussein added that Campbell works in offshore oil and gas, earning over £100,000 a year and had to travel down from his home in Inverness for the hearing.

Judge Annabel Pilling ordered Campbell to pay a £1,500 fine and £500 in compensation to each of the victims.

Campbell must also pay £85 in costs and a £150 surcharge.

She told him: ‘Your case surprises me enormously. It’s very unusual to have someone of your age, in employment, a settled relationship, a father, to be in court for the first time for something like this.

‘Clearly you are not able to act under control when you’ve had too much to drink. The language you used was extremely offensive to both Mr Pande and Mr Burke.

‘You were aggressive, took your shirt off and threatened to fight them.’

‘I imagine that if your children had seen you they would have been frightened, deeply embarrassed and deeply ashamed of you.’

Campbell, of Ferry Road, Inverness, admitted two charges of racially aggravated harassment.

‘Just keep an eye on how much you’re drinking,’ Judge Pilling said.
ends