A man who hurled racist abuse after being woken in a Cwmbran gym foyer, then exposed himself twice while in police custody, has been jailed for 24 weeks.
Lee Robinson, 57, was sentenced in his absence at Cardiff Crown Court, having earlier been found guilty after a trial.
The convictions
Robinson, of no fixed abode, Cwmbran, denied any wrongdoing but was convicted of:
- Three counts of racially aggravated harassment/alarm/distress
- Two counts of exposure
At the gym
The offending began in January in the foyer of a 24-hour gym. Robinson, a wheelchair user and double amputee who was homeless, had fallen asleep there.
An employee and his colleague woke him and asked him to move on. Robinson reacted by becoming “aggressive and angry”, and the court heard he subjected the two black men to “vile” insults.
Officers were called and Robinson was taken into custody.
At the police station
His behaviour did not stop once he reached the station. He directed another racial slur at the booking desk sergeant, then used it again towards a custody detention officer.
Later, while being questioned in an interview room, he exposed himself, shocking an officer. He did the same thing a second time after being taken to a cell.
Sentencing
The court heard Robinson suffers with an “anti-social behaviour disorder”.
Judge Vanessa Francis described the language Robinson used in racially abusing the two victims as “vile”, before jailing him for 24 weeks.
Rose Glanville prosecuted the case, while Darren Bishop represented Robinson.
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