Judge reacts with C-word court retort after jailing ranting racist
A judge stunned a courtroom by using the C-word as she was sentencing a man for making racist remarks at a mother and her two young children.
Aug 11, 2016
By Nick Hudson
A judge stunned a courtroom by using the C-word as she was sentencing a man for making racist remarks at a mother and her two young children.
John Hennigan, 50, was handed down an 18-month prison sentence by Judge Patricia Lynch QC at Chelmsford Crown Court for his ninth breach of an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) in 11 years.
He began his tirade from the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court by telling Judge Lynch she was “a bit of a c***”.
She retorted: “You are a bit of a c*** yourself. Being offensive to me doesn`t help.”
Hennigan shouted back: “Go f*** yourself.”
“You too,” replied the judge.
Hennigan then banged on the glass panel of the dock, performed a Nazi salute and twice shouted “Sieg Heil” before starting to sing “Jews gas them all . . .”
Judge Lynch, still speaking in a measured tone, commented: “We are all really impressed. Take him down.”
Hennigan, from Harlow, had pleaded guilty to breaching his ASBO by using racist language towards Tanisha Ford and her children, aged six and eight, as they were out shopping in Harlow in April last year.
His ASBO, which runs until further order, was first made in April 2005. It prohibits him from acting in an anti social way or from using racist language.
He has been jailed before for breaching these conditions. Among his 23 convictions for 47 offences, there are eight previous breaches.
Most offences happened in Harlow and include abusing a bus driver, pub door staff and raising an arm in a Nazi salute to a member of the public.
After another breach in October 2012 in which he did a Nazi salute in a central London pub and called black people “c**ns and “n*****s” an Old Bailey judge described him as “a disgrace to the values of this country”.
Prosecutor Lynne Shirley told the court that Ms Ford and her children, who had recently moved to the town and were looking for a shop, were in Market Square, Harlow.
Ms Shirley said “She noticed the defendant waving at her. She approached him and he asked her if she was looking for a toilet. She said no, looking for Slimming World. He gave her directions. It seemed a normal conversation and she walked off but as she did Hennigan said `I don`t agree with inter-racial relationships. I like natural`.
“She was shocked and surprised and asked what he meant. He said `I prefer white children`. She was shocked further.
“The incident made her feel very upset, hurt, out of place and distressed. It`s not the first time she`s been racially abused and it brought back unpleasant memories,” added Miss Shirley.
“She was alarmed her children had to listen to the comments.”
Ms Ford decided to report the incident. Hennigan was identified and while he was in custody officers found comments he made “very unpleasant”, the court heard.
Mitigating, Harry Warner urged the judge to spare Hennigan from immediate custody.
He said: “It`s not worked in the past and is unlikely to work in the future.”
He could benefit from working with probation, he added.
“He is a rather unfortunate man. He lives alone, is single and has been diagnosed and medicated for depression.”
But Judge Lynch told Hennigan: “Your offence is thoroughly unpleasant and repeated breaches of this order using the most unpleasant of language and causing distress.
“It`s said custody would be distressing for you but it seems you never learn. This is the ninth time you h