Pensioner abused Muslim convert claiming her face veil made him feel “fearful”

The South Wales Evening Post reports on the trial of a pensioner who racially abused a Polish Muslim convert, telling her to “go back to your own country” and shouted at her to remove her niqab. 

Bert Fahy, 75, appeared before Swansea Magistrates’ court in connection with the incident on 22 November 2016. 

The court heard the victim was walking along the street and checking her mobile phone when Fahy approached her shouting. Fahy called the victim a “black b*****d” and told her to “take that f*****g thing off your face,” a reference to the victim’s niqab. Fahy further abused his victim telling her to “go back to your own country”.

The victim told Fahy that she would all the police if he didn’t desist but he carried on shouting at her. After the encounter, the victim followed Fahy to a block of flats and later reported the incident and address to the police. 

Fahy pleaded guilty to racially or religiously aggravated public order offence though his defence argued that he had acted in such a manner because he “had felt “fearful” because he couldn’t see the woman’s eyes.”

In a victim impact statement read to the court the victim said the encounter had left her feeling “anxious and afraid”.

She said, “Just because I follow my religion, I should not be treated like this.”

The court heard My Fahy had no previous convictions and on sentencing him, District judge David Parsons said that only his clean character and age saved him from being sent to prison.

Judge Parsons told Fahy what he had done was “a serious matter.” Fahy was fined £258, and ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the victim. He was ordered to pay £85 towards court costs.