THE inventor of a juggling sticks game has been acquitted over a hate crime after being accused of saying "all right, geezer" to a transgender Afghanistan veteran.

Vernon Mussington was found guilty of harassment but had the conviction overturned after it was found there was not enough evidence he was the person who made derogatory remarks in two of the three cases.

1 Vernon Mussington had his conviction for a hate crime overturned at the Luton courts Credit: photos@southbedsnews.co.uk

The 52-year-old had been accused of harassing Joanne Gullon, who served in the RAF Reserve as a man before beginning to identify as a woman, but claimed he did not realise he was talking to a transgender woman, the Daily Mail reported.

Gullon told the court that she had started to change gender in 2014 - saying the claimed comments from Mussington were "very upsetting" as it "denies your humanity".

She said that the man, who once lived near her in Bedford, even stared between her legs and laughed - with another two incidents alleged to have happened.

But after being acquitted, Mussington said he had never even met Gullon - saying he had just been trying to be friendly saying hello.

The court had initially heard that video footage captured Miss Gullon asking "Call me a gay boy?"- despite Mussington not heard to say anything.

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In the footage, Miss Gullon can be heard saying: "I'm not a f***ing boy, you idiot.

"I have breasts. So how many more times do you want to call me geezer and gay boy?"

She told the court that going through a transition was already hard, saying: "All I want to be is accepted for who I am."

The case was heard at the Luton Magistrates' Court last September, with Mussington found guilty and sentenced to 150 hours' community service and fined £360.

Everyone has the right to greet people. I didn't expect my life to be sabotaged because of it Vernon Mussington

Recorder Stephen Lennard ruled in favour of Mussington in the appeal, saying there was not enough evidence he had been involved in the first two confrontations.

After the acquittal, Mussington said his life had been "sabotaged" by the incident, saying he did not know the person was transgender.

He said:"I was just saying hello. I try to get on with everyone and say hello, whoever they are.

"I've been under constant stress for nearly a year because of this."

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