Thug threw sex toy at Wakefield takeaway owner during racist tirade over free food

David Yates, who has been jailed before for attacking a shopkeeper, spent hours berating the worker at Four Square Pizza - RFC on Airedale Road in Castleford, before returning the next day to continue.

The 36-year-old hurled racist abuse at the man, threw a can of lager at him and the sex toy into the shop. He returned minutes later with a garden shovel and used it to smash the window of the vehicle parked outside belonging to the worker. He also smashed the counter in the shop using a rock.

He continued to spit into the shop telling the man he would “knock him out”. Leeds Crown Court heard that over the next few days, between March 31 and April 4, he returned several times, spitting and dishing out more racist abuse. The police were eventually called and Yates, c/o Foss Walk in Airedale, was arrested.

He admitted breaches of a criminal behaviour order (CBO), two offences of racially-aggravated harassment, harassment, criminal damage and assault on an emergency worker. Yates has 71 previous convictions for 134 offences.

He was previously jailed in 2021 for slashing the tyres of a store owner in Castleford when he refused to sell him alcohol, then threatened to stab the man. He was jailed for 26 months on that occasion.

Mitigating for his latest offending, Craig Sutcliffe said alcohol had been an issue and that Yates was keen to “explore the possibility of alcohol-blocking medication” once he was released.

He said Yates had spent the last 10 Christmases behind bars but said within days of his release he begins drinking heavily again and often has little memory of his actions. A criminal behaviour order (CBO) was previously imposed due to his behaviour.

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Mr Sutcliffe said there was a suggestion that the takeaway owner had given Yates free food in the past due to his dire situation, but Yates then turned on the man when he refused to give him any on this occasion.

Judge Christopher Batty told Yates: “A CBO was imposed because your conduct was becoming unmanageable, and here you are again. This poor man has helped you in the past by giving you free food. You threatened him with violence and spat at him, you threw items at him and armed yourself with a shovel.

“It’s really serious and can only be met by a custodial sentence.”

He jailed Yates for 21 months and set a date - May 21 - to consider imposing a new CBO. Anyone caught breaching a CBO can face up to five years’ jail.