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A racist from Derby accused an Asian taxi driver of being responsible for the Manchester bomb then smashed up his cab with a wooden bat.

Terence Poxon said the victim had “firebombed kids,” and racially abused him - less than a week after the concert tragedy that claimed 25 lives.

The 58-year-old had dressed himself in a Union Jack t-shirt to deliberately parade around Normanton wearing it.

He told police he had armed himself with the weapon in case anyone challenged what he was wearing.

(Image: Derbyshire police)

And Poxon also said he was pleased his actions had scared the taxi driver and told officers “yes, I am being racist” as he explained why he did what he did.

Steven Taylor, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, said the incident took place at around 3.30pm on May 28.

He said Poxon had called a cab from his home in Acorn Close, Shelton Lock, which arrived minutes later.

Mr Taylor said: “The taxi driver asked him where he wanted to go and the defendant answered ‘Normanton’.

“When the driver asked him ‘where in Normanton?’ he suddenly became aggressive and said to the victim ‘you did the Manchester bomb’.

“He then pulled a wooden baton from his sleeve of his coat.”

(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Mr Taylor said the actions “frightened the cabbie” who managed to pull over in Chellaston Road and get out of the taxi.

He said Poxon also got out and used the weapon to smash three windows and cause dents to the car.

The offence was witnessed by people waiting at a bus stop who the taxi driver had gone over to for protection.

Mr Taylor said: “One of the witnesses said the defendant was wearing a Union Jack t-shirt and gesticulating in a confrontational manner shouting ‘Chelsea, Chelsea’ like a football chant.

“He then pointed at the taxi driver and shouted ‘guilty’.”

The police were called and arrived at the scene but Poxon had walked back to his home.

He was arrested and during the journey to the police station he swore at police officers, continued to racially abuse the taxi driver and said ‘he firebombed kids’.

Mr Taylor said: “He said to the officers ‘yes, I am being racist’ and he was not particularly apologetic about it.

“He told officers his intention was to go to Normanton Road wearing his Union Jack t-shirt and he had the baton in case anyone approached him about it.

“He said had anyone asked about his t-shirt he would have used the baton against them.

“He said he wanted the taxi driver to feel like the little kids did at the Manchester bomb.”

The Manchester Arena blast, on May 22, claimed the lives of 25 people and injured 250 more.

It was carried out by 22-year-old suicide bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi at the end of a concert by the American singer Ariana Grande.

Poxon pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence, racially-aggravated criminal damage and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

Jailing him for 25 weeks, Judge Nirmal Shant QC said: “The victim was doing nothing more than carrying out his job in a law abiding way when you decided you were going to teach him a lesson for something he was not responsible for.

“Your behaviour was wholly unacceptable.”

Stuart Newsome, for Poxon, said his client had never been in trouble with the law before and had physical ailments including stomach problems, liver disease and chronic arthritis.

He said: “He is not a man of entrenched violence by any stretch of the imagination.

“He is remorseful and feels guilty and embarrassed about what he did.”