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A racist thug who slashed a black woman’s face after bumping into her in a Liverpool street was jailed for 11 years.

John Kavanagh, 31, collided with his victim when walking down Holt Road in Kensington at around 3pm on June 3 last year.

The 39-year-old woman helpfully pointed out that his headphones were trailing on the ground, to which he replied “f*** off n*****”.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Kavanagh, of Dial Street, Kensington, carried on up the road, but then turned back.

Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said he was seen on CCTV taking something out of his pocket, before attacking his victim.

He said: “She was struck to the head by an item which caused a cut to her head.

“She fell to the ground on her hands and knees and was bleeding onto the pavement.”

Kavanagh ran away, leaving his victim with a two to three inch slash above her left eye, which was badly swollen.

He denied the offence of wounding, but was found guilty after a trial.

The court heard he had 72 previous convictions, dating back to 1998.

In 2002 he was locked up for nine years for robberies committed against garages and a number of home burglaries.

He was jailed for six years in 2007 for possession of a handgun and ammunition and cannabis with intent to supply.

Judge Robert Warnock said he had ordered a psychiatric report to help him assess whether Kavanagh was a dangerous offender, but he had declined to be interviewed.

Julian Linskill, defending, said Kavanagh was visited by wardens at HMP Walton at around 8am.

He said they told him a doctor wanted to see him but he declined because he thought it was about an incident in December, when he was attacked in the prison and suffered a broken jaw.

Mr Linskill said Kavanagh claimed the woman had been drunk and stumbled into him.

He said he had his earpiece jerked from his ear and believed she had stolen his phone.

Kavanagh accepted he had pushed the woman and that she had fallen and banged her head.

Judge Warnock said: “I saw the CCTV. Frankly, it was chilling.

“You believed or thought that you had been the subject of some perceived slight by the victim in this case, having bumped into her.

“Later, having got to the street corner, you turned, came back to your victim and with some sort of item you slashed her face.

“You swore at her and said f*** off n***** and I have no doubt about it whatsoever that it was racially aggravated.

“There is in my judgement a significant risk of you causing harm to others.”

Kavanagh sighed in the dock as he was jailed for 11 years.

He shook his head as the judge said he would also serve an extended two-year licence when he is released from prison.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Steve Baker, from the Liverpool North SIGMA Hate Crime Unit, said: “The victim in this case was only trying to be helpful but Kavanagh directed a stream of racist abuse towards her then slashed her across the forehead.

“This was a shocking assault which appeared to come completely out of the blue and left the woman involved traumatised and in shock.

“Today, the judge in court described the CCTV footage as chilling and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the media and the public for their help with the original CCTV appeal which helped to bring this man to justice.

“I hope today’s sentence gives the victim a sense of justice and allows her to put the events of the last few months firmly behind her. I also think it makes it clear just how seriously the police and the courts take this type of behaviour.”

Anyone who has been a victim of hate crime can call officers via 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.