A Haverfordwest man who claimed that a police officer had ‘manhandled his genitals’ during his arrest has appeared before magistrates charged with causing racially aggravated harassment.

Lee Derbyshire was arrested by officers on the night of March 25 after staff at Llanelli Railway Station attempted to remove him from a train.

“He was asked to get off the train because of his behaviour, but he refused,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“He pushed one of the managers and the police were called, which led to the public order matter.”

Ms Vaughan then showed magistrates video footage of the incident which amounted to approximately ten minutes in length. During the altercation Derbyshire, 58, could be heard speaking to the officers in a highly abusive manner.

“Get your hands out of my pockets, you paedophile,” he was heard saying, together with “Go back to school and s*** each other.”

His comments then turned racially aggressive, when he called the officers “F****** Welsh c****.”

“It’s fair to say that his comments had homophobic and racially aggravated elements towards the officers,” concluded Ms Vaughan.

Derbyshire, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive words and behaviour and of using racially aggressive words, likely to cause intentional harassment.

He was legal represented in court by Rachel Tucker.

“My client fully accepts that he’s an alcoholic,” she said. “There have been periods when he abstains, even as recently as last year, but at the time of the offending, and also today, he has a real problem.

“He’s embarrassed at the words he used, as he lives in Wales, his children live in Wales and his grand child lives in Wales.”

Ms Tucker went on to say that Derbyshire is keen to do all he can to amend his alcohol intake.

“I’ve never met anyone who’s so keen to work with the probation service to fight his alcohol problem,” she said. “This is because his alcohol intake is increasing quite rapidly.”

Ms Tucker’s comments were endorsed by the probation service.

“He’d been drinking heavily that day and was on his way to London to see his friends,” commented the probation officer.

“He shows remorse for the members of the public that witnessed his behaviour, but he believes that he was being manhandled by the police with unnecessary force. Whilst searching him, he believes the police officer was touching his genital area.”

After considering the facts, magistrates sentenced Derbyshire to a 12-month community order during which he must complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £240 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.