Wednesday 28 October 2009

Black Beverly Hills Finance Guru Admits Race-Hate Attack


A globetrotting Beverly Hills financial guru – in London for a consultancy contract – confessed to a vicious race-hate attack on an Indian mobile phone shop worker and now faces a date with the Old Bailey.

Consultant Roger Robinson, 39, of Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, had to be pulled off the victim by customers, after beating him to the floor while delivering a tirade of racist abuse.

A second consultancy position in Moscow, starting next month, is in ruins after Magistrates remanded Robinson in custody to appear for sentencing on November 24.

“You were racially abusive to a member of staff and became more intimidating,” Bench Chairman Mr. Terry Rogers told Robinson at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

“You went round the counter for a face to face confrontation and you struck the victim, knocking his glasses to the ground and then threw him to the floor.”

Robinson, who has been staying in King’s Cross Road, Clerkenwell since arriving to work in London on September 2, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault on Viraj Raval, by beating, at St. Pancras International Station (pictured) on Sunday, October 25.

He also pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards a total of five people, including the assault victim, at the same time and place.

Prosecutor Mrs. Alexa Morgan told the court Mr. Raval, a part-time worker at the Vodaphone shop in the station, angered the defendant when he began chatting with the sales assistant selling African-American Robinson a mobile phone charger.

“The defendant asked why he was talking to his colleague and when Mr. Raval began chatting again the defendant said:’ Why don’t you fuck him in the ass then’.”

Robinson stood and stared at Mr. Raval in an intimidating manner then rounded the counter shouting: “Make me leave the store.”

The victim admits he told Robinson to “fuck off” twice before the attack began.

“He swung a punch at me, striking me on the right cheek, causing my glasses to fly off,” Mr. Raval told police.

A flurry of punches followed, explained Mrs. Morgan, with Robinson throwing the victim to the floor while hurling abuse.

Witnesses heard Robinson shout: “You sand nigger,” at Mr. Raval, adding: “I would stamp on you if these people were not here. I would kill you.”

He also called the victim a “Middle-Eastern fuck” and repeatedly screamed “Nigger” also shouting: “Go back to your own country.”

Security staff eventually escorted Robinson out of the shop and British Transport Police arrested him.

Robinson, who graduated in Southern California has a diploma and MBA in finance and owns his own consultancy firm.

He was due to begin a 6-9 month Moscow contract in November.

“Mr. Robinson took great concern at Mr. Raval’s intervention and accepts he overreacted. He felt threatened and paranoid when making the abusive comments,” explained Mr. Shivalkar Sanjeev, defending.

“This is not behaviour that will be repeated here or anywhere else in the world,” added the lawyer.

Robinson, who has been in custody since his arrest, was denied bail by the JP’s because of his lack of community ties.

They agreed their powers of punishment – limited to twelve months imprisonment – were insufficient to deal with the case and committed Robinson to the Central Criminal Court.

“Due to the sustained violent nature of the offence we cannot deal with the case,” Mr. Rogers told Robinson.

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