Rezzas Abdulla appeared at Newcastle Crown Court

Rezzas Abdulla was spared prison after leaving the little girl, - aged just nine months - in her pushchair, covered in saliva after the shocking afternoon street attack in South Shields.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the attack happened last January as the baby's mum was out walking with the tot at Chichester Road and that Abdulla, 33, approached without warning.

Emma Dowling, prosecuting, told the court: "He lent into the pushchair and spat into the face of her daughter.

"As he did so, he shouted or said 'white people shouldn't breed' then walked off."

The court heard when the baby's stunned mother confronted Abdulla, who swore at her and walk off.

Miss Dowling told the court the spit was "sprayed around" the baby's face,and a shocked passer by gave her a tissue to clean up.

The sickened mum tried to take a photograph of her baby's attacker as he walked away but was too shaken by what had happened.

Abdulla, who has two previous convictions for race-hate attacks on white females, was later tracked down through cctv.

Abdulla, of Imeary Street, South Shields, was convicted of racially aggravated common assault after a trial at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court, - which he did not attend.

The baby's mother told police in a victim impact statement: "I am completely disgusted and distressed that a grown man, regardless of race or religion, would spit on a defenceless baby in a completely unprovoked attack.

"If he had just walked by I would not have even noticed him, there was no eye contact and no words had been exchanged. I had never seen him before."

The court heard the baby was taken to the doctor after the attack for tests.

Her mother added: "I believe he spat on her purely because we are white. I was a lone female and an easy target."

Mr recorder Darren Preston told Abdulla: "There is something viscerally horrible and disgusting about spitting at someone, particularly in the face and to do so to a baby was particularly disgusting, let alone to make things even worse when your motivation for doing so is racial hatred."

The judge referred to Abdulla's previous convictions and told him: "You have got a problem, it seems to me, with white women."

The court heard after the attack last January, Abdulla spent time, between July and September, receiving psychiatric treatment in hospital, which has continued after his release into the community.

The judge said Abdulla's deteriorating mental health at the time of the attack "contributed" towards the offence.

Abdulla was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation and mental health treatment requirements.

The judge said "society in general" would be better served by Abdulla being allowed to continue his psychiatric treatment programme.

Vic Laffey, defending, said medical evidence shows Abdulla's mental health was deteriorating in the six months leading to his hospital admission with schizophrenia last summer.

He no receives anti-psychotic treatment in the community.

Mr Laffey said: "This suggests he was ill, or becoming ill, at the time this offence was committed.