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A married couple from Gateshead have been jailed after violently assaulting a Kurdish man with a metal pole while screaming racist abuse at him. Damian Smith, 36, and Dawn Thompson, 48, attacked the shopworker in January, telling him to “go back to your country.”
The victim, who has been granted asylum in the UK since moving in 2019, lived in the same block of flats as Smith and Thompson. Following the assault, which involved being hit with a pole and punched in the face, he has been forced to move out.
On Friday, Smith and Thompson appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, where they were sentenced for unlawful wounding and theft of a mobile phone. Both had pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard that the victim regularly endured racist comments from Smith and Thompson, who lived on the ground floor of the building. Prosecutor Jessica Slaughter detailed the abuse, stating, “He would be told by the defendants to go back to his country and to stop speaking Kurdish and to speak English instead. He perceived the comments to be hostile and racist.”
The violence escalated on January 20 when the victim returned home with his shopping. Thompson began by verbally abusing him, accusing him of looking at her inappropriately. She then summoned Smith, who emerged aggressively, hurling racial slurs and attacking the man with a metal pole. Smith struck the victim on the head, causing a cut that required medical treatment. The victim managed to protect himself from further blows but dropped his phone, which Thompson then stole. Smith continued the assault by punching the victim in the face multiple times before he fled.
The couple were arrested shortly after the incident, with the victim’s phone found hidden under a carpet in Smith’s flat. Thompson initially lied to police, claiming self-defence.
Smith has 13 previous convictions for 16 offences, including theft, criminal damage, burglary, battery, possession of a blade, and possession of class-A drugs. Thompson has 63 previous convictions for 181 offences, primarily theft, and has prior convictions for racially aggravated harassment and witness intimidation.
Defending Smith, Shaun Routledge said his client “doesn’t consider himself to be racist” and had been facing personal problems at the time of the attack. Jamie Adams, representing Thompson, described her as a grandmother of nine with a history of substance addiction and low self-esteem.
Recorder Mark McKone KC condemned the couple’s actions, calling the offence “nasty and mean” and noting that it resulted in the victim being effectively driven out of his home. Smith was sentenced to 22 months in jail, while Thompson received a 14-month sentence.
The case underscores the ongoing issue of racially motivated violence and the impact it has on victims and communities. The court’s decision reflects a commitment to addressing such crimes with appropriate severity.
