Boozer's racist tirade against female cop who tried to help him in Mansfield

The civilian investigation officer was driving with a colleague along Sutton Road, at 6.15pm, on August 12, when they saw Maurice Flaherty staggering and clinging to railings.

“They wondered if he had some medical condition or if he was drunk, and asked if he was OK,” said prosecutor Robert Carr.

“He then decided to lie flat on his back and told them he was going to go to sleep on the pavement.

“He asked her what religion she was and she ignored him, thinking she had misheard him.

“She said: “What difference does it make? I am here to help you.”

“Flaherty asked where she went to pray and she replied she went to a church.

“He repeated that in a mocking way, and then called her a racist name, mumbled sexual innuendo and stuck his middle finger up at her.”

When he was being put into the police car, he used another racist term.

Flaherty, 54, of Alfreton Road, South Normanton, admitted using racially aggravated words, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

He was convicted of a similar offence in January 2017, and served five weeks in prison.

Mary Dixon, mitigating, said Flaherty suffers from schizophrenia and is on anti-psychotic medication.

She said: “He can remember very little. He had gone to visit a friend in hospital and learned he had to get his foot amputated. He went out and got very drunk.”

District judge Andrew Meachin told him: “This is a nasty offence. Obviously drink has taken over - and that’s an issue which has been highlighted.

“This poor woman had turned up to help you because she was concerned for you. You have a poor record and drink is clearly an underlying issue.”

He gave Flaherty a six week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 15 days of a rehabilitation activity.