Thug faces prison over hate crime (From The Argus)

8:57am Friday 1st June 2007 in

Two gay women urged victims of homophobic attacks to report them to police after they were subjected to an assault.

Scaffolder James Whittam, 28, had a lock knife in his pocket when he abused Sarah Lavis and Rachel Morey.

The attack happened outside the Help the Aged charity shop in London Road, Brighton.

Miss Lavis and Miss Morey were looking through a pile of records left outside the shop.

Whittam kicked Miss Lavis in the back and hurled abuse at Miss Morey.

He said: "I could batter you if I wanted to.

If I had a knife, I'd stab you."

As he spoke, he patted the pocket his lock knife was in.

At Lewes Crown Court, he admitted assaulting Miss Lavis and using abusive and threatening language towards Miss Morey.

Whittam had admitted possession of an offensive weapon and a small amount of cocaine at an earlier hearing.

The court was told he used the weapon to cut rope while at work.

He had been drinking and taking cocaine when he approached the two women.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told Whittam he could expect to receive a prison term because of his behaviour while in possession of the knife.

He said: "Society is rightly concerned about people walking the streets with knives, possibly under the influence of a class-A drug."

Whittam, of Dyke Road, Brighton, was bailed pending sentencing on June 28.

The incident happened at about 11.20pm on Saturday, October 27, last year.

Miss Lavis and Miss Morey were ready to give evidence against Whittam if he pleaded not guilty.

Miss Lavis said: "It wasn't very nice to find out he did have a knife on him when he threatened us."

They said they hoped the conviction would encourage other victims of homophobic attacks to go to the police and press charges.

Miss Morey said: "It is a shame more people don't do it because a lot of them get away with it.

"It is nice to see justice done.

"If it wasn't us it would have been someone else."

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