A Muslim mum was knocked unconscious in front of her young children in an “utterly degrading” racist attack at McDonald’s.
Kellie Cooke, 33, mocked Hamman Hamood’s accent before hurling racist abuse and trying to pull off her headscarf – then knocking her to the floor.
The court heard one of Mrs Hamood’s terrified children later told officers: “Mummy was sleeping on the floor.”
Mum-of-three Cooke, of Lockerby Road in Fairfield, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault and a racially aggravated public order offence at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today.
Melanie Tomlinson, prosecuting, told the court Mrs Hamood, 34, was buying a meal for her family in the Kensington branch of the restaurant at around 8.20pm on March 27, when she encountered Cooke.
She said: “As Mrs Hamood waited at the counter to order her food she became aware of the defendant laughing.
“The defendant asked the complainant what a Frappucino was. The complainant pointed at a photo to show her, and the defendant continued to laugh and mock the way the complainant spoke. “(Cooke) turned to members of staff and said ‘she doesn’t know what she’s saying’. She then said ‘go back to your own country, you shouldn’t wear that scarf in this country’, and ‘why are you not wearing a full face covering, f*** you’.”
The court heard Cooke became extremely aggressive and started shouting at Mrs Hamood’s four young children.
The victim phoned her husband for help but as she put the phone down Cooke tried to grab her headscarf.
Ms Tomlinson said: “The next thing she can remember is waking up dazed.”
Cooke was arrested and later admitted the offence, but could offer no explanation.
Source: Liverpool echo
