A MUSIC fan who was politely questioned by a security worker at the Kendal Calling festival responded aggressively, demanding: “Get me white security.”

Louie Holmes, 28, who claimed he lost the security wrist tag that allowed him entry to the event, first tried to flee and then he spat at the security officer before punching him in the chest, Carlisle’s Rickergate court heard.

He pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated common assault.

Prosecutor Andy Travis said the trouble began at 11.40am on July 30 last year when entrance gate security staff detained Holmes as he tried to enter the Lowther festival ground. But the defendant ran away. 

The security worker chased Holmes, who tried to hide in a tent in the festival family area. Finding him there, the worker tried to engage Holmes in conversation, and offered him a drink of water.

The defendant responded to this by spitting water into the worker’s face. As the defendant again ran away, the security worker requested assistance as he gave chase. Again, he caught up with Holmes, by this point detained.

It was when Holmes saw the security worker that he made the comment about wanting "white security," a comment the worker felt was directed at him. 

Despite this, he again offered Holmes a drink of water.  “At this point,” said Mr Travis, “the defendant stood up and punched [the security guard] hard in the chest.” The court heard that Holmes had 21 previous offences on his criminal record.

Seven of those offences were for violence.

Duncan Campbell, defending, said: “It had been a particularly difficult day for him. He’d attended the festival, as he was perfectly entitled to do, and so had a wrist-band to secure his entry.

“Somehow or other, his wrist band was lost and he began having difficulties with some of the security officers. He explained the position to them and all went well.

“But an incident was created by somebody near a busy pizza van and this particular officer came to deal with this incident.” The defendant behaved as he did “out of exasperation,” said Mr Campbell.

“He obviously accepts that he should not have behaved in that way at all.” Holmes also regretted the comment he made.

District Judge John Temperley said the offence was aggravated by the defendant’s criminal history and by the racial nature of the comment the defendant had made.

“I accept that you have expressed remorse and I acknowledge your guilty plea.” But the racial aggravation had caused distress and upset, said the judge. He jailed Holmes for 20 weeks, pointing out that six weeks of that sentence was accounted for by the racial element of the offence.

The judge also ordered that Holmes, whose only address was given as Durham Prison, must pay his victim £100 compensation.