"THIS was unpleasant, loutish and childish'' - with these words, a judge admonished a Southampton man for squirting a driver with a water pistol which led to a roadside row between the pair.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Kalwant Singh had stopped at traffic lights at Rownhams in his BMW convertible when a van drew up alongside. David Attrill wound down the passenger seat window and drenched him with a water pistol.
The pair then got out of their respective vehicles and in a confrontation, Attrill shouted racist abuse, kicked Mr Singh on the leg and punched him on the shoulder.
Attrill, 36, of Walnut Avenue, Southampton, admitted racially aggravated common assault and failing to surrender to bail.
Fern Russell, defending, said: "It was unpleasant. A silly prank which went wrong. A scuffle broke out and in the heat of the moment he made the remark.'' Judge Tom Longbotham said he would have jailed Attrill but for the fact he had spent the equivalent of a five- month term on remand. Instead he gave him two years supervision and told him to carry out 60 hours unpaid community work.
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