Ex-soldiers’ celebrations turned sour

Mar 7 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

REMEMBRANCE Day celebrations for two former soldiers ended with their arrest by police after a Northumberland publican was subjected to alcohol-fuelled racist abuse, a court was told yesterday.

Father and son Anthony and Joseph Murray – who both served in Northern Ireland during their time in the Army – were arrested following a Remembrance Sunday incident at Ponteland’s Blackbird Inn, when their party was asked to leave the pub.

After going outside, Joseph Murray, 28, racially abused Roger Maraj, whose partner is licensee of the pub, calling him a ‘black bastard’ and another derogatory name, Bedlington magistrates were told.

The two men were arrested by police officers called to the pub and, during the journey to the police station, Anthony Murray, 53, made racist comments in the hearing of officers.

Yesterday the pair, who live in Stamfordham Road, Cowgate, Newcastle, both admitted an offence of racially-motivated disorderly behaviour on November 11 last year. Joseph Murray was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and his father received a conditional discharge for six months. Both were ordered to pay costs of £135.

Prosecutor Cuthbert Regan said the offences were committed after the Murrays and a third man were asked to leave the pub following an incident in the bar. Mr Maraj followed them outside where he was racially abused by Joseph Murray on several occasions.

In a victim statement, Mr Maraj later told police that the words directed at him were clearly racially motivated and left him feeling distressed and wondering whether it was worth running a business.

Angus Taylor, defending, said both men had served four years in the regular Army. Anthony Murray had served in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and his son saw service in Belfast, Cyprus and Kosovo after joining up on leaving school in 1997.

Because of their military backgrounds, they had gone out on Remembrance Day and had been drinking with others in Newcastle city centre and then at Army barracks at Kingston Park. Things turned sour when they moved on to the Blackbird Inn and an Irishman in their company began making comments about the Army and the IRA, which they took exception to.

They went outside where Joseph Murray admitted he racially abused Mr Maraj. He said Anthony Murray also accepted that he used racist language in relation to Mr Maraj.

Mr Taylor said both men wanted to apologise to the court for their behaviour on the day. “They are proud men who have done their bit for their country, and who have been under and have returned fire. They realise they made a mistake in this very brief incident.”