A TIRED new dad “inexplicably” launched a violent racist assault on an Asian man and his family after confronting them in a Bolton retail park, a court heard.

Ashley Hurst and his partner Jodie Parkinson were heading to Boots at Trinity retail park to buy colic medicine for their four month-old-baby.

Bolton Crown Court was told the pair had not had much sleep when they came across Mohammed Patel and his family.

The Patel family had parked their VW Golf next to Graham Dale’s vehicle and Mr Patel’s aunt accidentally opened her door on to the other car’s door mirror.

Brian McKenna, prosecuting, said the matter was resolved amicably between Mr Patel and Mr Dale, but while they were talking, Hurst drove up in a Mercedes convertible with Parkinson in the passenger seat.

Hurst, who did not know Mr Dale or the Patels, asked what was happening and made racist comments before getting out of his vehicle and confronting 25-year-old Mr Patel at 8pm on January 17.

Hurst, a father-of-two, then turned his attention to Mr Patel’s mother, grabbing and pulling the end of her headscarf, whilst 20-year-old Parkinson joined in the racist abuse.

The frightened Patels got back into their car when Hurst drove his car in front of their vehicle, got out and punched Mr Patel three times through his open window as he sat in the driver’s seat.

He was knocked unconscious, a tooth was chipped and his nasal bone was displaced, requiring two lots of surgery.

Hurst, aged 24, of Lakeside Avenue, Bolton, pleaded guilty to inflicting racially aggravated actual bodily harm and Parkinson, of Darley Grove, Farnworth, admitted causing harassment, alarm or distress which was racially aggravated.

Andrew Costello, defending Hurst said: “On the day in question he was in a poor frame of mind.”

The couple both sobbed in the dock as Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Hurst to 18 months in prison and Parkinson to four months’ jail, suspended for two years plus 80 hours unpaid work.