Amateur actor James Slattery outside Liverpool Crown Court yesterday after being sentenced for racial harassment

A prankster has been convicted of racially harassing a black woman in a slavery museum in what he claimed was a social experiment.

Amateur actor James Slattery told Sharna Sinclair he 'hated black people' and asked her if her family was 'from a tribe' in footage filmed at Liverpool's Slavery Museum.

After she began to cry, the unemployed builder told her she was being filmed as part of a 'social experiment', adding 'don't worry, my wife is black'.

He claimed he was trying to raise awareness of racism – but horrified victim Sharna Sinclair was 'humiliated' by the incident and called police.

Slattery has now pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Liverpool Magistrates' Court.

The court heard a video of Slattery pretending to racially abuse a black friend at the Slavery Museum on March 28 went viral after being posting online.

In that video Slattery told his black friend: 'It would have been better if the white people were slaves because we actually work better. You were slaves for a reason mate.'

One woman disgusted by what she heard said: 'I don't agree with you. You're being a bigot. Nobody is interested in your opinions - keep it to yourself.'

But Amanda Cullen, prosecuting, said Slattery's group tried the experiment again, on the same day, with 26-year-old Mrs Sinclair as an unknowing participant.

Ms Cullen said: 'The victim, who is a black female, was visiting Liverpool with her husband who is a white British male.

'They were looking at exhibits in the Slavery Museum when they became aware of three males. Male one (Slattery) was white and Irish, male two was black and male three was Asian.

Slattery told Sharna Sinclair he 'hated black people' and asked her if her family was 'from a tribe' in footage filmed at Liverpool's Slavery Museum

'They heard male one saying on a mobile phone, 'Is this a joke? I'm trying to get away from black people and you have sent me to a floor full of them'.'

Ms Cullen said Slattery then turned to Mrs Sinclair and said: 'Can you believe it? My friends have set me up because I hate black people.'

He also said: 'Can I ask you a question, are your family from a tribe?'

Slattery's black friend joined the act by pretending to confront him, which prompted Slattery to say: 'Black c***'.

The court heard a video of Slattery pretending to racially abuse a black friend at the Slavery Museum on March 28 went viral after being posting online (pictured)

The court heard the men came clean after Mrs Sinclair became 'really upset' and said: 'Don't worry, it's a social experiment, we have been filming you.'

Slattery added: 'Don't worry, my wife is black.'

Ms Cullen said: 'The victim felt very upset that she had been used for a social experiment. She felt extremely humiliated by that.'

Slattery was traced after the video of the earlier incident was uploaded by online prankster site Trollstation.

In that video Slattery told his black friend: 'It would have been better if the white people were slaves because we actually work better. You were slaves for a reason mate'

In his police interview Slattery, from Maidstone in Kent, claimed the idea for the stunt came when his black friend was racially abused during a visit to Liverpool.

He told officers he had apologised to Mrs Sinclair and her husband.

The court heard Slattery had a previous conviction for a public order offence relating to a row with a traffic warden – but also had a caution from 2003 for a racially aggravated common assault on his now wife.

Louise Bauress, defending, told the court her client was not racist and had been trying to 'raise awareness' that racism still took place.

One woman disgusted by what she heard said: 'I don't agree with you. You're being a bigot. Nobody is interested in your opinions - keep it to yourself'

She said another video filmed by Slattery, involving a confrontation over public breast feeding, had also been widely shared and was used by colleges in London for educational reasons.

She said: 'He wants to fully apologise to the victim in this case. He never intended to cause harassment or distress. He has intended to cause alarm to the public to see what reaction they would give to the scene that was acted out.'

Slattery was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and told to attend a rehabilitation course with the Probation Service to address his 'thinking skills'.