1 week Ago By [email protected] (Duncan Browne)
A mental health practitioner racially abused a security worker who wouldn’t let her leave a party with a half-drunk bottle of wine. ‘Ashamed and embarrassed’ Angela Buckberry labelled the victim a ‘f***ing black b***ard’ after he refused to let her take a half-drunk bottle of wine home with her at the end of the night out at Spalding ’s Springfields Exhibition and Conference Centre. The 56-year-old pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated distress when she appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (April 9) - an act her solicitor described as ‘out of character’.
“The defendant wanted to take a bottle of wine outside with her, but the victim insisted she couldn’t due to the licensing policy, but the defendant became argumentative,” prosecutor Turan Sunat explained. Mr Sunat told the court a colleague of the victim - who ‘identifies as a black African male’ - recovered the bottle from Buckberry, hearing her make the slur. A statement made by the victim was read out by Mr Sunat.
“I was very disappointed that there’s such bigotry and prejudice towards black people in modern society,” it stated. Defending Buckberry, of Main Ridge East, Boston, Roger Lowther said his client admitted having ‘too much to drink’ and has not touched alcohol since the incident on December 15. “It took place around 12.
30am as the party was coming to an end, and it’s fair to say Miss Buckberry was drunk,” he added. “She has a stressful job as a mental health and wellbeing practitioner and has led a life helping others. She wanted to let her hair down and hasn’t let her hair down since.
“She tried to leave with a half drunk bottle of wine and was told she couldn’t take it with her. “The victim didn’t hear what she had said but was told by a co-worker. She is extremely ashamed and embarrassed about her actions that night, which were out of character.
” Mr Lowther added his client had ‘never troubled the court before’ and wanted to apologise to the victim. Buckberry was fined £558 and ordered to pay a £215 victim surcharge and £85 costs..
