Albert Boyd, 42, of Centuripe Avenue in Ballymena, received an 18-month Enhanced Combination Order at Antrim Magistrates Court in Ballymena on Tuesday. The order requires 100 hours of community service. District Judge Nigel Broderick also ordered Boyd to pay £1,000 compensation to the victim.

Police attended a disturbance in the Harryville area of Ballymena around 3am on December 20, 2024. Officers found substantial damage to a car's windscreen and bodywork caused by a trolley.

The car owner went outside with a wooden broom after a family member reported the damage. Boyd insulted the owner over his immigrant status and attempted to punch him but missed.

The owner struck Boyd with the broom in self-defense, knocking him to the ground. Police cautioned the owner for possessing an offensive weapon.

Officers restrained Boyd until a vehicle arrived. Boyd then fled the scene. Police identified him from a distinctive facial tattoo and arrested him.

Boyd was highly intoxicated at the time. He initially told police he remembered nothing of the events. Boyd pleaded guilty to assault and vehicle damage.

Boyd admitted targeting the car because its owners were foreign nationals. District Judge Nigel Broderick ruled the assault involved racial hatred. The judge noted a 2020 incident on Boyd's record with similar racial elements.