Man stabbed Asian stranger in neck with scissors 'in revenge for Isis beheadings'
'It seems the focus was on Islam,' court hears following unprovoked attack
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A man stabbed an Asian stranger in the neck with a pair of scissors before calling police and telling them it was in revenge for "all the people beheaded by Isis", a court heard.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Michael Hilton, of East Herrington, Sunderland, told police he heard voices telling him to attack Muslims.
The court was told the 33-year-old had approached the victim and asked for a cigarette lighter as he sat in his car with friends outside a Tesco in Sunderland in November 2014, according to Chronicle Live.
Neil Jones, prosecuting, said: “The injured party, not being a smoker, looked to the rear passengers in the car and discovered no one had a lighter.
“While he was turning, his neck was stabbed by this defendant, using a pair of scissors.”
Referencing remarks made by Hilton about religion, Mr Jones told the court: "It seems the focus was on Islam.”
After the attack, Hilton rang 999 and said “they should not be beheading people” and “God told me to do it”.
He also said the stabbing was done “in the name of all the people beheaded by ISIS”.
Hilton, who has previous violent convictions, admitted religiously aggravated assault.
He had been in prison on remand for the last 16 months, and was sentenced to an 18-month community order with supervision over the attack.
The unnamed victim, 32, told the court that although his wound had healed well, he had been left traumatised and was wary of strangers, reported Chronicle Live.
He also had to undergo a series of Hepatitis B injections after the incident.
He told the court: “There is no need for a complete stranger to make such racist remarks towards me in relation to race or religion.”
He added that it was “deeply disturbing” that Hilton had referenced Isis in relation to the attack.
Judge David Wilby QC said according to the guidelines suitable for the offence, Hilton had already served sufficient prison time.
He said: “I want to make it clear to the complainant in this case that I am in no way belittling the gravity of the offence.
“He was stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors by this man.”
Defending lawyers said Hilton could avoid trouble if he avoided drinking and kept to his medication.