Man pleads guilty over ‘no blacks’ graffiti on Salford door
Written by News on 21/02/2019
A man has pleaded guilty to painting “no blacks” over the Salford home of a family from Africa.
Vaughan Dowd, from Salford, admitted to writing the racial slur across solicitor Jackson Yamba’s front door.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to a single count of racially aggravated criminal damage at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard how Mr Yamba was leaving for work on 8 February when he saw “no blacks” painted on his front door in white paint.
The same graffiti was also sprawled on an internal communal door and the entry door to the block of flats.
Ann Deakin, prosecuting, said CCTV showed Dowd covering his face to carry out the vandalism before returning to the flats with his face uncovered.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Yamba said: “This incident has left me feeling very angry.
“The idea someone has the audacity to attack my front door of my home address and target me in this way has affected me in a lasting way.
“I’m now constantly on edge and worried about every little noise outside and it has affected my ability to sleep.”
In court, Dowd spoke only to confirm his name and details and to plead guilty to the offence.
District Judge Mark Hadfield said the sentencing powers of the magistrates court were insufficient to deal with the case and ordered Manchester Crown Court to handle it at a later date.
Mr Yamba shared a picture of the “abhorrent” racist graffiti on Twitter following the incident.
In an accompanying post, he revealed police had not contacted him more than a week after he reported it, sparking a public outcry.
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police apologised for the delay in response and local politicians became involved.
Ms Deakin said police arrested Dowd after making inquiries about CCTV records and building access records.
Lorna Wincote, defending, said the “facts are fully accepted” and that Dowd had no issues with regard to drugs or alcohol, saying there was “no underlying explanation” for his actions.
Since sharing the picture online, Mr Yamba, who works for a law firm in Leeds, hsa received many messages of support and a GoFundMe page set up to pay for a new door quickly passed its £1,000 target.
In response, Mr Yamba said he was “really grateful for the amount of support across the country.”
(c) Sky News 2019: Man pleads guilty over ‘no blacks’ graffiti on Salford door
