Man who ripped off Muslim woman’s niqab in court

Categories: Latest News
Wednesday July 20 2016
The Sunderland Echo, BBC News and ITV News report on the court appearance of a man charged with racially aggravated common assault after he allegedly tore a Muslim woman’s face veil from her face as she shopped with her husband and young child at the Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland on 3 July.
The woman had been waiting outside a shop while her husband went inside when the accused, Peter Scotter, 55 is claimed to have approached her shouting “You’re in Britain, live by British rules” before tearing her face veil from her face.
In an earlier interview with a local paper the victim said, “I was just shocked and when I saw my veil on the floor, I felt really scared. I haven’t slept a wink since, I’ve just been wandering around the house traumatised.
“We are waiting for Eid, that’s why we were shopping, but now I feel like I can’t enjoy it and we’re not ready.”
Appearing before Sunderland Magistrates Court, Scotter did not enter a plea against the two charges of racially aggravated common assault and racially aggravated alarm, harassment or distress. The second charge relates to his alleged verbal abuse of police constable Deborah Chaytor as she attended to the incident.
Sunderland Magistrates court declined jurisdiction over the offences considering them too serious for a magistrates’ court to deal with and have deferred to a crown court for future trial.
Chairman of the bench Robert Dash said “We consider that the allegations are so serious we cannot deal with them.
“We are going to therefore refer you to Newcastle Crown Court.”
Scotter is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court at 10am on August 16.