CHARGES against a man accused of drunken and racist behaviour were dropped over a lack of evidence.

Calum Ross Adams stood trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court accused of racist harassment and abusing a police officer.

It was claimed the 25-year-old was part of a group who abused Aisha Khan and Ayla Khan.

But Aisha Khan was not available to give evidence during the trial.

Ayla Khan said she was “shocked” by the foul language used by the men, and by the sexual threats made by the group at Brighton Marina.

But she could not identify Mr Adams as one of the men responsible, the court heard.

CCTV footage shown by prosecutor Kyle Fournillier showed a man described as being “tall and slightly fat” being arrested.

It was claimed Mr Adams was the man arrested after an incident at the Harvester restaurant in which he was accused of pulling down his shorts to expose his rear to other diners, the court heard.

The Harvester restaurant at Brighton Marina

The Harvester restaurant at Brighton Marina

Then when arrested, it was alleged Mr Adams had called arresting officer PC Max Lea a “f******”.

The officer told the court Mr Adams was looking directly at him when he made the alleged homophobic slur.

PC Lea said: “He was clearly slurring his words and smelled of liquor, and was abusive to officers.

“He repeatedly used the word f******, it was a number of times, at least three times, directed at myself.

“He was looking straight at me. It was said with venom. He was frustrated at being arrested. He said ‘all I did was get my a*** out. He took a particular disliking to me at that point. He was clenching his whole body.

“The defendant was irate. Anything I did seemed to make him more irate. I tried to calm him down.”

But James Macpherson, representing Mr Adams, asked the officer if the incident was captured on body-worn footage.

It was not.

The solicitor made an application to magistrates that there was no case to answer over the alleged incident at Brighton Marina on February 7 last year.

Brighton Magistrates Court

Brighton Magistrates Court

Magistrate Martin Langham said: “We consider the evidence is very tenuous. Ayla Khan is not good at remembering things. The words the defendant allegedly said being cited in her evidence was not the same. We do not know who actually said those words.

“Those words are abhorrent but we cannot be certain to attribute them to any individual member of the group.

“In relation to all charges, looking at the law and the facts properly, we find the defendant could not be convicted of these offences.”

Mr Adams, of Cowfold Road, Brighton, was cleared of the charges of racist harassment, and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.