An alcoholic Darlington who man hurled vile, racist abuse at an Asian family before threatening the couple with a shovel has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

Christopher Barker flew into a rage when he was asked why he was talking to three young children and started ranting and raving at their mother and father.

The 52-year-old caused damage to the family’s gate before heading to his nearby home, retrieving a shovel and threatening to hit them with it, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Barker used several racial slurs and told them they shouldn’t be in this country during his racist outburst on June 7 last year.

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She said: “He became aggressive and started shouting at them and appeared to be intoxicated. They feared he was going to attack them so they started to close the door on him.

“They managed to get it half closed before he started kicking it – the three children were very upset at this point.”

The court heard how the woman called the police before Barker came out of his rear yard waving a shovel above his head and launching into another vile, racist tirade.

In a victim impact statement, the family said Barker’s racist behaviour had left them ‘disgusted’ and fearful that he would return and attack them.

Barker, of Thornton Street, pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated alarm and distress.

Emma Williams, mitigating, said her client had a longstanding issue with alcohol and had moved from the area where the incident took place.

She added: “He has acted incredibly stupidly and was under the influence of alcohol. He can’t remember saying those things but does accept saying them.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Barker to ten weeks in prison suspended for 12 months for the ‘obnoxious, foul, racist abuse’ he inflicted on the family.

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He said: “You back it up, not just with words, but with the shovel you had brought out of your house; waving it about and threatening them with it and shouting more racial abuse.

“I accept that you were drunk and I accept you have a problem with drink but there is no place in society for this behaviour.”

Barker was also ordered to attend 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and pay compensation of £150 to repair the damage to the gate.