A law student in the UK who was among those who racially abused a Zimbabwean student, Rufaro Chisango has been ordered to pay her £500 in ...
A law student in the UK who was among those who racially abused a
Zimbabwean student, Rufaro Chisango has been ordered to pay her £500 in
compensation.
District Judge Leo Pyle told Joe Tivnan (19) that : ‘Rufaro
Chisango was a first year student living away from home for the first time,
like you, but unlike you she had just got back from the library.
‘She describes hearing shouting that startled her. This was
described as shocking, disgusting, appalling and deeply offensive.
‘Imagine for one moment how Miss Chisango must have felt.
Entirely understandably, she felt what was being chanted and shouting was aimed
at her. She was rightly offended.
‘You go off to continue your evening, she is too frightened
to leave her room. She felt the language used was unacceptable and disgusting,
and felt compelled to leave that hall of residence.
‘It is no mitigation that you were in drink. Perhaps in the
sober light of this morning, it is evident you are remorseful.’
Tivnan was ordered to pay Miss Chisango £500 compensation
as well as £310 in fines and costs.
Tivnan was among around 20 other students singing the
‘football-style’ songs between 9.30pm and midnight on March 5 which was
recorded by Chisango.
Tivnan, from Erdington in Birmingham, admitted using
threatening or abusive words which caused distress to Miss Chisango, at a
hearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court. The court heard his hopes of a career
in law are now ‘irreparably damaged’ as a result.
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