Twin brothers sentenced over racist abuse and knife threat incident

The Liverpool Echo and The Mirror report on the jailing of two brothers who racially abused a man and threatened him with a knife in front of his seven year old daughter.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the incident happened on 6 May 2016 outside Netherton Park Neighbourhood Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.

The court heard Michael and Ryan Size, twin brothers aged 18, confronted Sunil Chopra as he took his young daughter to an after school club.

Michael Size was arguing with his girlfriend when Mr Chopra looked in their direction.

Michael racially abused Mr Chopra calling out “What the f*** are you looking at, you n*****?” and “keep walking you p***, you skinny Arab”.

Mr Chopra said that as he walked on a gang appeared and Ryan Size pulled out a kitchen knife and threatened him saying “Speak to my brother like that again and I will slash you.”

Mr Chopra was abused by some of the other members of the gang and walked away in an effort to defuse the situation.

Prosecutor Kim Egerton told the court, “He couldn’t believe how disgusting they were, calling him racist names and doing it in front of his daughter.

“He found it difficult to believe there was a knife being brandished in public when there were children around.”

Mr Chopra told the court his daughter had moved school and no longer goes to the centre. He also said his distressed family are now looking to move house.

Michael Size admitted racially aggravated harassment and Ryan Size pleaded guilty to threatening with a knife and possessing cannabis.

Ryan was handed a 12 months’ jail sentence and Michael sentenced to eight months in prison.