A man went on a ‘hate spree’ after storming into a Jewish wedding reception.
Joseph Nixon had returned to the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool city centre during the early hours of September 15, 2025 and confronted Jack Supree.
Mr Supree had been the best man at the wedding of his brother when Nixon and another man approached him in the reception area at around 12.45am.
The 43-year-old, from Armagh in Northern Ireland, was said to have asked him whether he supported Palestine or Israel but received a reply to neither.
Nixon is alleged to have called Mr Supree a ‘Jewish b*****d’ before entering a function room, shouting ‘Jews are murderers’ and ‘you guys are killing babies’.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday (October 26) that the incident lasted between seven and eight minutes before he was detained by police.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Supree described seeing only ‘hatred and evil’ when he looked into Nixon’s eyes during his tirade.
He added: “He chose to target me because I am Jewish. He chose to bring hatred into what should have been one of the happiest days of my life.”
Simon Pook, defending Nixon, said the defendant had been under ‘serious and significant stress’ at the time of the incident due to varying family issues.
He was caring for his elderly parents, who have since died, and was in the midst of a marital breakdown when visiting Liverpool for personal break.
However Mr Pook acknowledged that the chef had been drinking at the time.
He said: “He is ashamed of the comments he made. He is ashamed of his conduct.
“That is not who he is and he has full empathy for Mr Surpree for the distress he has caused him.”
Nixon was found guilty of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment and imposed with an 18-month community order in sentencing.
He will also be required to complete 300 hours of unpaid work while paying a £114 surcharge, £650 in court costs and £150 compensation to Mr Supree.