A SIKH man said he was left in shock after receiving a tirade of racist abuse while working for a charity in Malmesbury.

Navjot Sawhney was repeatedly called a “P***ki” by 22-year-old Dean Kent outside HEALS charity centre in Malmesbury High Street.

Kent pleaded guilty to racially aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress last week, following the incident on January 27.

Mr Sawhney, 24, was taking marketing photos of the charity shop at around 6pm when he stepped back into the road in front of a car in which Kent was a passenger, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard on last Wednesday.

Kent shouted at him to get out of the road and used racist slurs including “rag head”.

Kent, of Doveys Terrace in Kington Langley, Chippenham, was ordered to pay £50 compensation as well as £100 in fines and a £20 victim surcharge.

Speaking to the Standard afterwards, Mr Sawhney said: “The incident came as a very big shock. 

“I’ve always battled racism, but never so outright and blatant.”

“I’ve been in Malmesbury for about a year and three months and I’ve always felt welcome. As soon as the incident happened, I disregarded it, I said ‘I’m used to it, don’t worry about it’.

“I feel like it’s my duty as a Sikh to go out and show my face to people, and to talk to people about my background and my heritage.”

Mr Sawhney said Kent was caught because Alison Cross-Jones, who works at HEALS, noted the car’s licence plate and called the police.

During the sentencing, prosecutor James Burnham said: “(The abuse) was quite persistent. The vehicle stopped and the defendant continued the abuse.”

Emma Thacker, representing Kent, said he was being driven by his girlfriend who had to stop suddenly when Mr Sawhney stepped back, which “caused her some upset.”

She said Kent had suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since he was 11 and struggles to cope with some situations.

Although he is not on medication for the condition, she said he managed it with diet and was on employment and support benefits and disability living allowance.

Kent told the court he wanted to apologise for what he had done when District Judge Simon Cooper asked him if he had anything to say for himself.

Passing sentence, the judge told him: “The real concern about it were these were inflammatory remarks in what is a highly charged atmosphere in the country at the moment towards people who are not apparently from this country.

“It is what I would call a febrile atmosphere at the moment. It was wholly unnecessary to be so insulting.

“He was trying to work, taking a publicity photograph for a charity shop for goodness sake.

“You apologised publicly, I want that message to get back to Mr Sawhney.”

Mr Sawhney said that he was happy with the outcome of the case and hoped that it would prompt parents to teach their children tolerance and respect for all peoples.

Mr Sawhney is currently documenting his year with a photograph every day. To see his project visit facebook.com/navsproject365