A British Jewish man who was the victim of antisemitic abuse in a pub told a UK court that it left him traumatized to the point that he feels anxiety about being identified as Jewish in public.
The man said that the incident "shook him to his core" and he is now "very anxious about wearing a kippah,” BBC News reported.
The man’s assailant, Edward Ossian, 68, of Southport, verbally assaulted him with antisemitic abuse at the Beer Inn in the seaside town of Southport on September 21, Merseyside Police told the Sefton Magistrates' Court.
The victim testified that the incident left him devastated as it took a toll on his family and made him feel unsafe in public.
After admitting to racially and religiously aggravated harassment, Ossian was given a 12-week custodial sentence, which was suspended for 12 months. He must complete 20 days of rehabilitation, was given a three-year restraining order, and ordered to wear an electronic monitoring tag for eight weeks.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the Jewish man said that Ossian’s "comments said to me shook me to my core.”
"I should be able to go out without the stress of being verbally berated," he said. "The incident has impacted on my daily life… I have changed my routines to avoid any further confrontation… It has impacted on my family life and where I feel safe to go."