Magistrate warns racist language will not be tolerated by courts

The magistrate warned that racist comments were not permitted on the football field and they won’t be tolerated on our streets.

The magistrate warned that racial taunts would not be tolerated by the courts.

RACIALLY offensive language was not tolerated anywhere these days and won’t be tolerated by the courts, a Toowoomba magistrate has warned.

Magistrate Damian Carroll’s comments came when hearing a case of a man racially vilified in Toowoomba’s CBD in the middle of the day.

Police prosecutor Julia Wheaton told Toowoomba Magistrates Court Jahmarley Dawson had been busking on Margaret St on November 9 when another man approached and called him a “black ****”.

The 25-year-old shaped as if to throw a musical instrument at the man who went inside a nearby store and armed himself with a door stopper, Senior Constable Wheaton said.

Fortunately, members of the public stepped in and any physical altercation was avoided.

However, Dawson pleaded guilty to a charge of public nuisance arising from his involvement.

His solicitor Michael McElhinney said his client was a talented comedian who had just won an awarded at the Deadly Comedy Festival in Melbourne.

Ironically, the other man who allegedly hurled the verbal abuse was indigenous himself, he said.

Magistrate Carroll said such language would not be tolerated.

“This language is not tolerated on the football field,” he said.

Without recording a conviction, he placed Dawson on a three month good behaviour bond.

The other man is yet to front court.

Originally published as Magistrate warns racist language will not be tolerated by courts