They launched vicious attacks which singled their victims out over their race.
Now, these criminals have been brought to justice for racist incidents which bring shame on the North East. All in front of judges or magistrates in the region, these men all launched physical or verbal attacks on people relating to the colour of their skin.
Whilst some faced jail for the offences, others avoided being put behind bars, with some having to pay fines.
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Here are some of those sentenced for crimes involving racist abuse in the region over the last six months:
Stephen Marriner
This drunken racist thug glassed a stranger in the face and neck because of the colour of his skin. Stephen Marriner wounded his victim in a shocking and "completely unprovoked" attack with a pint glass.
The attack in Sunderland was followed by a "disturbing and abhorrently racist" rant at police after his arrest, Newcastle Crown Court heard in March. The victim needed three stitches to a wound on his eyebrow and four stitches to a wound on his neck after the violence in the early hours of September 23 last year.
Marriner, 30, of Aldenham Tower, Lakeside Village, Sunderland, who says he is not racist, admitted unlawful wounding and was jailed for 22 months.
Judge Tim Gittins told him: "It is clear from what you said to the police in your foul-mouthed rant following your arrest that a considerable part of the motive of your attack was the colour of that young man's skin. I say that because your abuse was aimed at his nationality, which you got wholly wrong."
The judge said the victim was hit in an "extremely vulnerable" part of his body, the face and neck and that Marriner as fortunate not to have killed him.
Lukasz Piekarus
Days after walking free for making a Nazi salute at Jewish woman, this racist told a supermarket manager 'you are all the same, white British sl***'.
Lukasz Piekarus was given a 28 week suspended prison sentence on November 24 for a series of offences, including making the vile gesture at an anti-racism rally, exposing himself to strangers and sexually assaulting a bar worker.
But on December 2 he struck again, insulting a female Tesco boss in Newcastle city centre when she told him he was barred. He then went on to aim homophobic abuse at a restaurant worker in a separate offence.
In March Piekarus, who smiled as the facts of the case were outlined at Newcastle Crown Court, was jailed for 18 weeks. It was around 10.20pm that he went into the Tesco shop on Percy Street, where he was asked to leave and told to hand back a bottle of wine he had picked up. He responded with the racist remark and when the doors were locked against him, he kicked them.
He then went to Las Iguanas restaurant looking for his former partner, who used to work there, and was shouting outside. When a worker came out and told him to go, he was called a homophobic name.
Piekarus, 28, of Grace House, North Shields, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated public order, theft and a public order offence. As well as the prison sentence, he was given a five year restraining order in relation to his former partner
Karl Cain
Racist Karl Cain threatened to throw a three-year-old onto train tracks after being asked to stop spouting foul abuse in Newcastle city centre. Karl Cain was saying vitriolic words, including "they should all die" at passers-by who were Asian and black when he was challenged by a dad who was with his young child.
When asked to modify his behaviour, which took place on a Friday morning in October 2021 at Monument Metro station, he turned nasty, saying: "I will chuck your f****** bairn on the tracks". The dad decided to report Cain to staff then saw him trying to force his way through barriers.
Metro staff ended up asking an off-duty police officer to help as Cain was drunk, aggressive, swearing and clenching his fists. He wanted to go to Sunderland but didn't have enough money so the PC kindly bought him a ticket before escorting him to the platform.
"But he kept behaving abusively, saying to a black man 'you black f****** are all going to die'," prosecutor Michael Bunch said at Newcastle Crown Court in November last year.
The 41-year-old, of Victoria Road, Shotton Colliery, County Durham, pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence. Cain, who has 213 previous convictions, including another racially aggravated offence, was jailed for 12 weeks but was released immediately having served half of that period on remand.
Anthony McIntyre
This drunk reveller "learned an expensive lesson" after shouting vile racist abuse at city centre bar staff. Anthony McIntyre was fined after he told a doorman at Rusty's, in Newcastle, to "wait until I come back and get you, you f*****g p****".
In January, Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told that the 34-year-old had been on a night out but had become separated from his pals when he turned aggressive towards staff at the popular bar. The police were called but, rather than calm down when officers arrived, he shouted the racist slur.
McIntyre, who has a previous conviction for a racially-aggravated public order offence, was arrested but, once sober, began to regret his behaviour. However, it proved an expensive night out for McIntyre, of Hollywood Avenue, in Sunderland, after he pleaded guilty to another racially-aggravated public order offence and was fined £103.
The court heard that McIntyre, who has three offences on his record, was arrested and later interviewed, where he admitted what he'd said and apologised. Gerry Armstrong, defending, said McIntyre had now stopped drinking as he "realised it was not for him".
Magistrates told McIntyre "it's quite an expensive lesson for you" as they fined him £103 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
Martin Calcutt
This lout was ordered to pay compensation to a policeman he racially abused while drunk. Martin Calcutt, 49, insulted the officer after being quizzed in Bright Street, Lawe Top, South Shields.
Calcutt, of Newmarket Walk, asked the PC if he wanted to fight at 3.35am on Sunday, August 8. When the officer said he didn't, he shouted racial abuse.
Calcutt, whose last criminal conviction was in 2006, pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. District Judge Paul Currer ordered him to pay the officer £100 compensation, and fined him £50.
Wayne Bellerby
Racially abusing a detention officer after he was arrested, this criminal left the police worker feeling "degraded" in a "highly offensive" incident.
Wayne Bellerby asked if the civilian officer was "the Taliban" before calling him a "P**** b******, while being processed at Forth Banks police station in Newcastle on February 9, 2020. The 41-year-old was being escorted to a medical room by the officer, when he became "confrontational".
Bellerby, of Collingwood Court, North Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court this month, via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for the racially aggravated offence, as well as fraud and driving matters. The court heard that Bellerby had 39 previous convictions for 119 offences and had spent six months in custody over other matters.
Bellerby committed further offences on September 4, 2021, while on bail for the racist offence. Bellerby, who had been banned from driving, was seen in a car in Ashington. CCTV later captured him entering a home where he stole a woman's purse which contained her bank card and pin number, using it to withdraw £150.
Judge Stephen Earl indicated he would pass a conditional discharge. Sentencing him, Judge Earl, said: "You have served a considerable sentence already for other matters and have spent six months in custody. It's time to bring this to a close."
Bellerby was given an 18 month conditional discharge and banned from driving for 18 months. The judge added: "The most important thing now is please don't let me see you in this court in the next 18 months.
