A woman who shouted racist abuse and harassed diners sitting outside a kosher restaurant in central London after excessive alcohol consumption was given a suspended prison sentence, according to a report by the British Jewish News website.
The judge said that the woman "had exhibited 'genuine remorse' and that she had a child for whom she is the sole carer."
The assault outside the Kosher restaurant in London
The incident took place in July last year. The defendant, Mary Clarke, disturbed and assaulted diners outside the kosher restaurant, damaged property and shouted antisemitic remarks. Police were called to the scene and arrested her.
Clarke was accompanied at the time by a Palestinian businessman who owns the nearby restaurant Shakeshuka, which previously drew negative publicity after hosting a "viewing party" for Iranian missile launches against Israel.
Videos circulated on social media show Clarke approaching diners’ tables, throwing their food at them and onto the ground and continuing to act violently. In one clip, a man is heard saying that Clarke had broken his phone by throwing it on the floor.
According to the man, Clarke asked one of the women whether she was Israeli and attacked her after receiving a positive answer.
Jewish News reported that "Clarke pled guilty to two counts of racially aggravated harassment, one count of racially aggravated criminal damage and one count of racially aggravated common assault."
According to the Daily Mail, the prosecutor told the court that Clarke also said, “I’m the only one saving babies these Jews are killing.”
The defense said that Clarke had been “under the influence of alcohol.”
As per the Daily Mail, the judge said the incident was a "sustained attack that caused distress to multiple persons at the café and was clearly an element of targeting." He said, "The offense was more serious because it was committed under the influence of alcohol, inhibiting her behavior."
However, the judge added that Clarke had been "very genuine towards all the members of the public that were affected by her behavior." He sentenced her to 25 weeks in prison due to the racist aggravation involved but suspended the sentence because she is the sole caregiver for her son. The sentence is expected to remain suspended.
Clarke was placed on probation for 12 months, ordered to take part in an alcohol abstinence program and required to wear an electronic tag to monitor alcohol consumption. The judge also ordered her to pay 100 pounds in compensation to each victim and 43.50 pounds to the café to cover the cost of damaged items.