A HORTON man who blasted a teenaged boy with racist abuse after kicking his football at a local recreation ground was drinking litre of vodka a day at the time.

Paul Richard Parsons walked up to the victim who was sat on a bench with friends and kicked his ball away. He then told him: “Go fetch it yourself you f***ing n*****.”

Further comments were then said to have been made by the defendant which left the boy feeling scared and distressed, Somerset Magistrates were told.

Parsons, 42, of Waters Farm, had initially denied the allegation that on July 6 last year at Ilminster he used towards the boy threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause him to believe that immediate violence would be used against him, and the offence was racially aggravated.

However the court at Yeovil was told the defendant had pleaded guilty on a basis on the day he was due to stand trial.

Prosecutor Adrian Maxwell said that a group of 12 and 13-year olds were playing football at a recreation ground in Ilminster when they stopped and sat down on a bench at around 6pm.

He said: “At least one of the boys was of mixed race and they left the ball lying nearby when Parsons came over towards them and kicked the ball away.”

After making the racist remark he carried on walking and sat down near the group of youngsters.

“He then came back and said a number of other similar remarks using the same sort of language and the children were left afraid and distressed,” added Mr Maxwell.

He said the defendant was arrested by police six days later and when interviewed maintained he had not used any racist words towards the boy.

In a victim impact statement made by the victim he said he had been playing football with his friends when Parsons came through the gate, kicked the ball and then made the unpleasant comment.

He said: “The whole incident lasted about five minutes and I was scared. It was unpleasant and I did not like him calling me racist names.”

Defending solicitor Tom Biggs said that his client had made reference to the children calling him a derogatory name of “Swampy” and he had also received some unpleasant comments from them in the park that day.

“On this occasion, out of frustration, he said an incredibly stupid thing that has put him in court,” he said.

“It was the racist insult that led to the charge, and had he said anything else then he would not have been in court today.

“He also said the children claimed he had chased them, but this was not the case, he just followed them, but accepts his behaviour would have put the boy in some fear.”

Probation officer Mo Laughton said that Parsons was alcohol-dependent and on the day in question had been drinking in the park when he saw the ball and decided to kick it.

“The victim shouted at him and he accepts he reacted in a completely inappropriate manner,” she said.

She said he had managed to put a previous 10 year heroin addiction behind him but did use alcohol as a form of pain control as he suffered from arthritis in his feet.

He did not think about the victim’s age at the time and is not proud of what he did and accepts the boy would have been freaked out by his behaviour,” she added.

The magistrates fined Parsons £110 and ordered him to pay £25 compensation to the victim. He was also ordered to pay £45 towards costs and a £20 victim surcharge.