A VIOLENT drunk was ordered to pay a fine after he launched a racist tirade on two women in the town centre.

Jason Taphouse, of Priory Avenue, had been out drinking vodka on the evening of January 17 when he approached the women at a cash machine on Friar Street.

Police were on patrol at around 9.30pm when they were flagged down by the two distressed revellers.

Taphouse continued to shout and swear when the officers asked him to calm down and he fell backwards onto a bus shelter before he was arrested.

He was ordered to pay a fine of £120, costs of £50 and a victim surcharge of £30 after admitting to drunk and disorderly behaviour and using threatening language of a racial nature at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Lesley Gilmore, prosecuting, said: “The girls had been drawing money from one of the cash machines and he asked them for money. He continued shouting and using racist words while the girls were in earshot.

“The officers went to investigate but the girls declined to stay any longer. The defendant started shouting a swearing at the officers while using racist language.

“He was slurring his words and continued to give officers a false name and was behaving erratically, while swearing in front of police. He was warned several times about his language and he started undressing his upper half.

“He then fell backwards, hitting the nearby bus shelter and he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. He was kicking out at the officers.”

Stephen Collins, defending Taphouse, said the man remembered nothing of the evening and woke up in a cell the following day.

He explained how the 47-year-old from Caversham had been drinking ‘significant quantities’ of vodka, which had reacted badly with his medication.

Amanda Coneley, chair of the bench, said the total fine of £200 would be deducted from his benefits and the court had to issue a more serious punishment because of the racial element to his abusive language.