A HARLOW man has pleaded guilty to a number of racially aggravated offences.

Liam Ponsford, aged 36, of Whitewaits, Harlow pled to the following at Chelmsford magistrates court.

On March 26th, 2025 in Harlow you did use towards a number of persons, threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause that person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against  them by any person, or to provoke the immediate use of unlawful violence by  them or whereby  those persons were likely to believe that such violence would be used, or it was likely that such violence would be provoked and the offence was  racially aggravated within the terms of section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

On March 26th, 2025 at Harlow, without lawful excuse, destroyed a door to a value unknown belonging to Latton Bush Centre, intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged and the offence was racially aggravated within the terms of section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Ponsford received a suspended sentence for 18 months.

No order for costs – Reason for no costs: The court are prioritising the imposition of compensation. The defendant is of very limited means, in receipt of universal credit and already has a significant fines account. 

Alcohol treatment – Under direction of: Open Road, Phoenix Futures. Period of treatment: 3 Months.