A MAN who assaulted an African taxi driver and told him he was a "black dog animal and not a human being" was yesterday sent to prison for nine months.
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In the Supreme Court in Hobart last week, Samuel Craig Bigwood, 20, of Claremont, pleaded guilty to assaulting the taxi driver and two university students - one of whom was of Asian descent - in September last year.
His brother, Benjamin Nigel Bigwood, 18, also pleaded guilty to assaulting the two students and received a six-month wholly suspended sentence on the condition he is of good behaviour for three years.
He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service.
Justice Peter Evans said he rejected Samuel Bigwood's claim that the attacks were not racially motivated.
He said pictures on his MySpace page - including the words "F--- off, we're full" printed on a map of Australia and a white fist around which the words "100 per cent white, 100 per cent proud" were printed - were tendered as evidence.
"That race was a factor in what took place is plainly evident from what was said prior to each attack and support for this assessment is to be found in this defendant's MySpace page," Justice Evans said.
When Justice Evans told the court Benjamin Bigwood's sentence was to be suspended, the latter's mother yelled: "Yes, yes. Thank you, God" before she was reprimanded by Justice Evans.
Samuel Bigwood hugged his younger brother while they were seated in the dock.
The court heard that about 1.20am on September 26, the Bigwood brothers caught a taxi in Moonah driven by Sierra Leone-born Fayia Lahai, who Samuel Bigwood verbally insulted then punched forcefully to the nose and left ear.
Justice Evans said when Mr Lahai stopped the taxi in the middle of the road, the brothers and another man in the taxi with them walked down Elizabeth Street where they came across students Ryan Brown and Andrew Farquhar.
Justice Evans said Mr Brown - whose mother is Indonesian - was punched and kicked by the brothers and that he suffers from a number of continuing adverse consequences arising from the attack.
Mr Farquhar suffered minor injuries when he tried to assist Mr Brown.
Justice Evans said the death of the defendants' father - Nigel Bigwood, who was murdered in Zeehan in 2004 after approaching a man with an axe - had a profound affect on his sons.
