A RACIST abused a takeaway worker on Bridge Street after falling asleep with his face in a pizza following a sambuca binge.

James Edward Hatton, aged 26, of Pichael Nook, Latchford, shouted racial slurs at the male victim after he woke him up and suggested he should go home.

At Halton Magistrates Court on Thursday, Alison Warburton, prosecuting, said: “The defendant came in and ordered some food, and then fell asleep with his head in his food, at the table.

“The victim approached him to see if he was ok, and see if he could get a taxi home.”

The incident happened at around 3am on Sunday, June 29.

Hatton left the takeaway, only to return minutes later, to sit back down and fall asleep once more.

After being asked again to leave by the victim, who the court heard is from Iran, Hatton said ‘I’m going to kill someone’.

He then started swearing, and racially abused the ‘shocked’ takeaway employee, who escorted the defendant to a nearby police van.

The court heard Hatton told police he was ‘sticking up for his own kind’, and could recall buying food.

In a subsequent police interview, the defendant said he had been in four pubs, drinking beer and sambuca.

Hatton, who has two previous convictions, including a common assault charge, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment.

He is employed at a company on Winwick Road, the court heard, working long shifts for low pay.

Colleagues had taken him for a night out because he felt down, and he was said to be ‘hugely remorseful and apologetic’.

The latest offence breached a conditional discharge imposed for assault.

Magistrates took that into consideration and sentenced him to an electronic curfew, to run from 8pm and 6am.

Hatton was also fined and told to pay £85 costs.