Iraqi-born man escapes jail sentence for spitting on war veterans medals

By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent Published: 7:30AM GMT twenty-five February 2010

Samuel Steadman wearing the medals Photo: SOLENT

Serwan Abdullah, 23, squabble at Timothy House in an unprovoked conflict after a commemorative rite in Portsmouth, Hants, last November.

Abdullah has prior philosophy for assault, burglary and shoplifting and unsuccessful to spin up for his hearing last month, where his barrister pronounced he was "proud" of what he had done.

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But notwithstanding being cursed by the court yesterday for committing a "particularly abhorrent" offence, Abdullah, who is on inability good for depression, was since a village order.

Mr House, 44, an aircraft operative from Southsea, was wearing the medals in reverence to his late grandfather Sam Steadman, who served as a paratrooper during World War II and died in 1991, when he was pounded by the Iraqi.

The plant reacted in a huff yesterday to the judgment and pronounced that as a foreign-born rapist with prior offences, Abdullah should be deported.

"It was a sum miss of respect, there was no need for it and I cannot see what sort of halt that judgment is going to provide," Mr House said.

"To be squabble at was so spiritless and horrible.

"My grandfathers achievements did not merit the miss of apply oneself Abdullah gave them."

Abdullah had pleaded not guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates Court and claimed he acted in self counterclaim after Mr House had initial squabble at him in what he described as a "racist attack".

Police sources pronounced that that the conflict on Mr House was unprovoked and combined that Abdullah had done no grave censure of being the plant of a hatred crime.

Mr House said: "It is balderdash to contend I or any of the organisation I was with pronounced anything racist. It was a all unprovoked attack."

He added: "I can recollect the day vividly. We were carrying a couple of drinks with a little Falklands veterans and afterwards I listened a little shouting.

"I incited turn and subsequent thing I know this man was jumping up and down in my face, screaming something and afterwards squabble on the medals."

Stuart Chittenden, authority of the bench, sentencing Abdullah to a 12-month village sequence and 240 hours of delinquent work, said: "The corruption you have been convicted of is quite abhorrent."