Man who made “pig snorting noises” at hotel employee found guilt

The Shropshire Star reports on the guilty verdict in the case of a man who made “pig noises” at a hotel employee thinking the man was a Muslim.

Michael Williams, 61, of Wrexham denied a charge of racially aggravated harassment over incidents at The Royal Hotel in Llangollen, between January and July 2016, where victim, Zacariah Hannah worked.

Hannah, who is an Egyptian Christian, said he came to know Mr Williams from the latter’s personal involvement with a fellow employee at the hotel.

Flintshire Magistrates Court heard that Williams once refused to shake Hannah’s hand in the street saying it was “against his religion”.

The court heard that thereafter, Williams made “pig snorting noises” at him each time he saw him.

Hannah reported the affair to the police following an incident where he was watering flowers at the hotel and could hear Williams “snorting loudly towards him while crossing the bridge over the River Dee.”

Prosecutor John Wylde said Mr Williams’s behaviour was prompted by his wrongly assuming that “the complainant was a Muslim” and that he “made pig snorting noises each time he saw him because of his belief the complainant did not eat pork”.

Mr Wylde told the court, “On one occasion he had done it at the hotel in front of the owner and had been banned from the premises.”

Williams who presented himself in court denied being a racist but the magistrates’ found that he “contradicted himself in his evidence several times.”

Williams was convicted of racially aggravated harassment and is due to be sentenced next month. The court warned Williams that all sentencing options remain open, including a custodial sentence. As part of his bail conditions Williams has been banned from entering Llangollen.