Hong Kong Race Ding Dong In Restaurant 'Ping Pong'

A drunken troublemaker racially abused the manageress of a Chinese restaurant just two weeks after making a 999 bomb hoax call when another eatery refused to serve him.

Christopher North, 38, shouted: "Who the f*** do you think you are? You're not from this country, I am," while demanding a drink at the restaurant's bar.

North, of Roundhay Drive, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour at the Ping Pong restaurant, Westbourne Grove, Bayswater on July 6.

He also admitted communicating false information, namely a bomb hoax, on June 23 after he was refused service at cafe in Leicester Square.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court North entered Ping Pong at 6.30pm and sat on a stool at the bar.

The restaurant's employees were either from Hong Kong or had connections with the former UK territory.

"He was noticed by staff to be very drunk and was asking for a beer and the female restaurant manager was called over to deal with him.

"He kept asking where she and the staff were from and said: 'F*** off,' and the police were called and the defendant was arrested."

At the time he was still being hunted by police for a hoax bomb call to the emergency services and was eventually traced to his home address on July 29.

"He made the call at 3.52am and said he was the Real IRA and that there was a bomb in a cafe in Leicester Square," explained Mr. Gill.

"The recording was seized and the defendant was identified.

"The call was in the early hours of the morning in a busy part of London, but many places would have been shut and I have no details of any upheaval.

"He said he was angry at not being served in a restaurant because he was drunk."

Mr. Alexander Gorst, defending, told the court: "Mr. North has bi-polar disorder and when it is not managed correctly this results in manic periods.

"He has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the past and when he was released from hospital in May he was readmitted to the community without receiving the treatment he had previously.

"Without that support network he was drinking, taking legal highs and not taking his medication, which created the toxic combination that resulted in these offences.

"His family have moved Mr. North back home to Teeside and he resides at the family home and is under a community treatment programme.

"Mr. North and his family have taken steps to ensure this will not be repeated.

"He doesn't drink anymore and does not take drugs and is under supervision through his family and care worker.

"He is aware of the perils of living alone in London and at the time of these offences he was a man of good character."

District Judge Andrew Sweet sentenced North to four months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, for the bomb hoax, conditionally discharged him for twelve months for the race offence and made a six-month supervision order.

"The bomb hoax is one the courts take very seriously and most would send you to prison immediately," he told North.

"One can only imagine the amount of mayhem caused by your telephone call and I see no reason why anyone should be subjected to racist remarks, it is unacceptable and it is abusive."

North was also ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge.