A MAN who was racially offensive outside a mosque while having a knife has had nine months added to a prison sentence he is serving for an assault.

William Slater emptied rubbish on the ground at the venue and was shouting "f*****g Taliban, P***i b******s" when police arrived on the scene in June.

The 44-year-old was jailed for two years last month for the wounding offence committed during a row with a neighbour about music last August.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told Teesside Crown Court that when police were called to the mosque in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, they found a knife stuck in the back gate at Slater's home.

He admitted racially-aggravated harassment and possessing a bladed article, and will serve the extra sentence when his current one ends.

John Nixon, mitigating, said Slater was under attack from the other man when he caused a deep cut to his forearm last year.

He said the victim was wielding a spirit level, and broke Slater's arm with it.

"He is benefitting from the custodial sentence," said Mr Nixon. "He has plainly had issues with alcohol and misuse of drugs over the years, and there are mental health issues.

"When he was 11, his mother was hacked to death along with another lady in Middlesbrough, and having spoken to his sister about that and having known this man for many years, indeed, it was plainly the case that he was deeply affected by those events when he was a young child.

"Those issues are being addressed in custody, where he is actively seeking counselling and assistance."

Slater, of King Street, South Bank, appeared in court via a live video-link to Holme House Prison in Stockton, and sobbed when Mr Nixon spoke of his mother's death.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told him: "You have a history of offending, but I bear in mind Mr Nixon's mitigation includes reference to very traumatic events when you were young.

"After committing those two Offences last year, you were on bail when you committed these latest ones in June.

"You were involved in a dispute with neighbours and had been drinking very heavily, and made racially offensive remarks to those you believe were connected to the property."

The court heard he has three previous knife convictions, and 17 offences on a record going back almost 35 years.