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A star amateur cricketer has spoken of his relief after been cleared of affray and a racially aggravated assault saying: "I am not guilty of being a racist."
Prosecutors claimed Steven Lawson (38) was racially motivated when he assaulted takeaway worker Shazad Hussain at Mario's Pizza shop in Snaith on the night of the England v South Africa rugby world cup final.
But a jury agreed with Mr Lawson that he did not have racism on his mind when he punched him.
The jury found him guilty of assault, but cleared him of the more serious charges of both affray and a charge of racially motivated assault.
Speaking after a three-day trial at Hull Crown Court Mr Lawson, who is both a football manager and a successful cricketer, said he had many Asian friends and the last thing he wanted was to be labelled a racist.
"I play a lot of cricket against Asian teams and many of them are my friends," said Mr Lawson, a record-holding cricketer.
"My landlord is African and I used a lot of Asian restaurants. I didn't want to be tarred with some brush.
"I have campaigned to kick racism out of sport. I have distributed anti-racist wristbands to children.
"I have even stopped trouble with an Asian cricketer."
Mr Lawson, of West End, Pollington, was one of a number of people arrested following a disturbance at Mario's Pizza shop on October 20 last year.
Two 16-year-olds and one 19-year-old have admitted charges of affray. Along with Mr Lawson they will be sentenced for their part in the violence at Hull Crown Court in around three weeks' time.
A jury took less than 13 minutes to find Mr Lawson not guilty to racially-aggravated assault, but guilty of common assault.
The charges sprang from words used at the scene which Mr Lawson said he did not hear. He was in a pub nearby for part of the evening.
When questioned in court Mr Lawson said he did not want to hurt anyone. He felt threatened in the takeaway when he arrived after the game finished and threw a punch at Mr Hussain.
Mr Lawson told police later he had drunk around five pints and with hindsight should not have done it.
He denied making any racist remarks and denied punching Mr Hussain more than once, saying there was a scuffle and he might have caught Mr Hussain with an elbow.
Mr Lawson, whose wife stood by him throughout the trial, admitted to police he had been a "37-year-old fool," but repeatedly denied claims he had used racist language, which his victim claimed.
Published on 1st May 2008 in News.
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