Pensioner ordered to pay compensation for racist abuse

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 23:27 · Archive

A 69-year-old man has been ordered to pay £100 compensation after racially abusing a British-born woman and her mother in a supermarket.

John Scannell, 69, subjected a British-born woman and her mother to racial slurs in an Iceland supermarket in Colchester city centre in December and was ordered to pay £100 compensation after admitting racial harassment at Colchester Magistrates' Court.

During the incident, Scannell made comments about immigrants, saying: 'Immigrants, the lot of you – this country is going to **** because they keep letting all the boats in.' As the mother and daughter tried to leave, he said: 'if I wasn't in a wheelchair, I would be kicking your heads in by now.'

Another customer intervened and told Scannell to stop being racist. In a statement read to the court, the woman said: 'I believe he targeted me and family. My family are originally from India – although I was born in the UK, he has clearly targeted me based on the colour of my skin.' She added the incident 'completely ruined our family day out'.

Scannell's defence solicitor Caroline Woodley said he was shocked by the comments attributed to him and noted he has people of colour in his family. She cited his lifelong health condition affecting his mobility and constant pain as context for his circumstances.

Bench chair Lucy Lavender told Scannell his behaviour was 'utterly unacceptable'.

How it is being reported

• Pensioner subjected British-born woman to racist abuse in Iceland supermarketJohn Scannell, 69, subjected them to racial slurs in the Iceland supermarket in Colchester city centre last December.Colchester Gazette · 2 Nov, 17:00
• Pensioner subjected British-born woman to racist abuse in Iceland supermarketJohn Scannell, 69, subjected them to racial slurs in the Iceland supermarket in Colchester city centre last December.Echo (Basildon) · 2 Nov, 17:00
• Pensioner subjected British-born woman to racist abuse in Iceland supermarketJohn Scannell, 69, subjected them to racial slurs in the Iceland supermarket in Colchester city centre last December.Brentwood Guardian · 2 Nov, 17:00

In this story: John Scannell · Colchester Magistrates' Court · Colchester · Iceland

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log