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| Police officer said black people looked like monkeys, court told | Police officer said black people looked like monkeys, court told |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A police officer made racist remarks to colleagues, saying black people "look like monkeys" and "lived in mud huts", a court has heard. | A police officer made racist remarks to colleagues, saying black people "look like monkeys" and "lived in mud huts", a court has heard. |
| PC Kevin Hughes, 36, is on trial with a fellow officer, PC David Hair, 42, who allegedly suggested a colleague might be leaving work because she was going home to "cook bananas". | PC Kevin Hughes, 36, is on trial with a fellow officer, PC David Hair, 42, who allegedly suggested a colleague might be leaving work because she was going home to "cook bananas". |
| Both Hughes and Hair deny one count each of using threatening words or behaviour to cause alarm and distress, and one count each of racially aggravated harassment. | Both Hughes and Hair deny one count each of using threatening words or behaviour to cause alarm and distress, and one count each of racially aggravated harassment. |
| Hughes, of Brentwood, Essex, is accused of making the comments while on patrol in Newham, east London, the prosecutor, Kate Wilkinson, told Westminster magistrates court. | Hughes, of Brentwood, Essex, is accused of making the comments while on patrol in Newham, east London, the prosecutor, Kate Wilkinson, told Westminster magistrates court. |
| The two officers on trial met at police training school. Hughes made the alleged racist remarks while in a patrol car in Green Street with three colleagues on 22 February after seeing three black men standing on the pavement, the prosecutor said. | The two officers on trial met at police training school. Hughes made the alleged racist remarks while in a patrol car in Green Street with three colleagues on 22 February after seeing three black men standing on the pavement, the prosecutor said. |
| He allegedly turned to his colleague, PC Costas Dakoutros, who was in the back of the car with him, and said: "Look at them, they look like fucking monkeys." | He allegedly turned to his colleague, PC Costas Dakoutros, who was in the back of the car with him, and said: "Look at them, they look like fucking monkeys." |
| "PC Dakoutros looked shocked and said 'You can't say that,'" Wilkinson said. | "PC Dakoutros looked shocked and said 'You can't say that,'" Wilkinson said. |
| Hughes allegedly replied: "No, but it's true." | Hughes allegedly replied: "No, but it's true." |
| "He began to deliberate that they [black people] were closely related to chimpanzees and then said they were more closely related to Neanderthals," the prosecutor told the court. | "He began to deliberate that they [black people] were closely related to chimpanzees and then said they were more closely related to Neanderthals," the prosecutor told the court. |
| Dakoutros also alleged that Hughes said: "Don't all black people look like monkeys?" | Dakoutros also alleged that Hughes said: "Don't all black people look like monkeys?" |
| Another colleague who was in the car said he heard Hughes say: "Black people hadn't evolved and lived in mud huts in Africa," the prosecutor told the court. | Another colleague who was in the car said he heard Hughes say: "Black people hadn't evolved and lived in mud huts in Africa," the prosecutor told the court. |
| But, under questioning, the officer denied being racist and said he was commenting on the way a man walked. | But, under questioning, the officer denied being racist and said he was commenting on the way a man walked. |
| Hair is alleged to have made racist comments to a fellow officer, PC Julia Dacres, on 13 March. | Hair is alleged to have made racist comments to a fellow officer, PC Julia Dacres, on 13 March. |
| Dacres lived in south London and usually did not work overtime as she found it difficult to travel home late at night, Wilkinson told the court. | Dacres lived in south London and usually did not work overtime as she found it difficult to travel home late at night, Wilkinson told the court. |
| While on patrol, Hair asked Dacres if she was going to work any overtime, to which she sarcastically laughed and said she would. | While on patrol, Hair asked Dacres if she was going to work any overtime, to which she sarcastically laughed and said she would. |
| Hair then allegedly said: "I didn't know if you were going to go into a little rant and say you were going to go home and cook bananas." | Hair then allegedly said: "I didn't know if you were going to go into a little rant and say you were going to go home and cook bananas." |
| Wilkinson said that Dacres was "stunned" by this comment and replied: "That is a weird concoction. Is that what you had for dinner?" Hughes was present in the police van at the time. | Wilkinson said that Dacres was "stunned" by this comment and replied: "That is a weird concoction. Is that what you had for dinner?" Hughes was present in the police van at the time. |
| "PC Hughes admitted hearing the comment and said it was stupid," Wilkinson said. | "PC Hughes admitted hearing the comment and said it was stupid," Wilkinson said. |
| Hair admitted making the comment but said it was not racist because he "could have named any food", according to Wilkinson. | Hair admitted making the comment but said it was not racist because he "could have named any food", according to Wilkinson. |
| The prosecutor also said the pair, who worked in the North East Victim Offender Location Time team (Volt), regularly mocked Asian culture while working, which distressed some colleagues. | The prosecutor also said the pair, who worked in the North East Victim Offender Location Time team (Volt), regularly mocked Asian culture while working, which distressed some colleagues. |
| Hughes and Hair would call each other "aunty" and "uncle", common terms in Asian communities for elders, using mock accents "such as those heard on television comedy series", Wilkinson said. | Hughes and Hair would call each other "aunty" and "uncle", common terms in Asian communities for elders, using mock accents "such as those heard on television comedy series", Wilkinson said. |
| Senior staff never challenged the pair for this, she said. | Senior staff never challenged the pair for this, she said. |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |
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