Footage of Fyona Bairstow, 72, and Michael Bairstow, 77, abusing Apple Moorhouse was shared widely online.
A married pensioner couple who were filmed racially assaulting a healthcare worker in a Yorkshire park have been jailed for eight weeks.
Footage of Fyona Bairstow, 72, and Michael Bairstow, 77, abusing Apple Moorhouse was shared widely online after the incident in Manor Heath Park in Halifax last August.
Bradford Magistrates’ Court heard the couple became aggressive with Ms Moorhouse when their dog started barking at her children, and she told them it should be on a lead.
During the “prolonged” confrontation Michael Bairstow told Ms Moorhouse to “go back to your dinghy” while making swimming gestures at her, and Fyona Bairstow pulled her ponytail when she tried to walk away.
Ms Moorhouse sobbed in court as mobile phone footage of the incident was played in court showing Michael Bairstow telling his dog to “get her, kill” before picking up a dog bowl full of water and throwing it at her.
Fyona Bairstow could then be seen making a reference to slavery and mocking Ms Moorhouse’s father, saying: “You can’t even speak English.”
Michael Bairstow asked Ms Moorhouse if she had “come from a rubber boat” and repeatedly said: “Ban the immigrants.”
The court heard that Ms Moorhouse told the couple she was a healthcare worker and entitled to remain in the UK.
As she tried to walk away, Fyona Bairstow pulled her backwards by her ponytail.
The court heard that when another woman intervened and told Michael Bairstow to get away from Ms Moorhouse, he punched her to the left side of her face and said: “Sticking up for immigrants, who do you think you are?”
In mitigation, Raza Hussain, representing the Bairstows, said the incident was not pre-meditated and the couple “fully accept the racial language they used was wholly inappropriate, which they deeply regret”.
Mr Hussain went on to say: “The fact that this incident was circulated widely on social media and on national news has brought them significant embarrassment.”
In a victim personal statement read in court, Ms Moorhouse said she was “scared for my life” during the incident and now carries a panic button with her.
Before magistrates retired to consider their decision, chairwoman of the bench Gill Arnold asked the couple to stand, saying: “I just want to have a look at you… That kind of attitude and those words and the things you said to Ms Moorhouse, is not something that comes out of the blue in a second, it’s something deeply rooted.
“That somebody can be so vile and aggressive to somebody such as this young woman here – I can only think you must be extremely ashamed.”
Ms Arnold went on to tell them: “I’m glad you are hanging your head, and we’ll be extremely fair when we decide what’s going to happen to you, but I want you to know, as another human being, I feel sickened.
“It’s just dreadful and you should be deeply ashamed.”
Michael Bairstow replied: “We are ashamed.”
Ms Arnold later said the couple would be jailed for eight weeks, saying the seriousness of the offence and the fact that children were present at the time meant only an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.
She also ordered each defendant to pay £175 compensation to Ms Moorhouse, and Michael Bairstow to pay £100 to the second complainant.
The couple, both of Shelf, Halifax, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated assault against Ms Moorhouse.
Michael Bairstow also admitted assaulting the woman who tried to intervene.
After the pair pleaded guilty to the offences in March, Ms Moorhouse, who moved to the UK from the Philippines more than 15 years ago and is now a British citizen, told reporters she feels less safe after the incident and “keeps looking over my shoulder”.
“I feel anxious obviously, every time that I think back, I feel upset,” she said.
“It’s a big thing, racism, and it needs to be dealt with.
“I’ve been here since 2009 and never had anything like this before, for 10 years, it was fine but now it’s got worse.
“I used to work in healthcare and I wanted to go back but I felt scared … this happened and I just didn’t go back.
“Caring was my passion but then this happened and it was hard to go back.”
Ms Moorhouse added: “At their age they should know better, but obviously they didn’t.”
Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Moorhouse said: “It’s a clear message that we’re all equal, that racism is not acceptable.
“Hopefully it will send a clear message that racism is a crime.”
She told reporters she had not been expecting the Bairstows to receive jail time, saying: “I can’t say I’m glad about it, I feel sorry for them.”
