A DRUNK Kidderminster car salesman punched a man and smashed his car windows during a 'bizarre' racist attack after the driver refused to give him a lift.

Oliver Johnson punched the Asian man twice after shouting racist slurs and caused more than £1,500 damage to his car during the incident in Comberton Hill, Kidderminster.

Days later he brandished what the prosecution said was a knife at a takeaway owner. Johnson maintained the offensive weapon was a corkscrew and he was sentenced on that basis.

The 31-year-old of Hurcott Road, admitted racially aggravated assault and racially aggravated criminal damage on October 27 last year when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday.

He further admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon on October 31 last year, an offence carried out while on bail for the earlier assault and criminal damage.

Michel Conry, prosecuting, said the first complainant was with friends smoking a cigarette in his Volkswagen Golf outside the chicken shop in Comberton Hill at around 2am when Johnson approached him and asked for a lift.

When told the car was full, Johnson used racially offensive language towards the complainant.

The complainant locked the car doors at which point Johnson began jabbing the car windows with his key. The driver got out of the car, concerned about it being damaged, and Johnson punched him to the left side of his cheek and then again, causing a cut to his eye.

Johnson then kicked the bonnet of the car and ran over the roof.

The driver began to drive away but Johnson continued to kick out and scratch the car, breaking the driver's side wing mirror.

Johnson caused £1,575 damage to the car.

When arrested Johnson told police he could not remember much after drinking in a pub in Comberton Hill. He said he had been receiving medication for bipolar disorder and should not be mixing it with alcohol.

In the second incident the owner of Tasty Land in Comberton Hill said he saw Johnson take what he thought was a knife from his pocket, leaving him feeling threatened.

The shop's CCTV showed Johnson 'strangling himself with a cord' but the defendant denied making any gun gesture at the owner.

Sabhia Pathan, defending, said Johnson had been a car salesman at Stratstone Land Rover but the breakdown of a relationship with his partner and the death of his grandfather had 'pushed him over the edge' and he had become dependent on alcohol.

She said he would never have used such racist language had he been sober.

But Judge Nicholas Cole said: "You punched him twice while racially abusing him. I accept this type of behaviour was out of character for you. Your behaviour was best described as bizarre."

Judge Cole imposed a 12 month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity days attached. He further imposed a three month, electronically monitored curfew which means Johnson must be indoors daily between 8pm and 7am.

He made no order for compensation or costs.