A drunk woman who shouted racist abuse as she attacked diners at a famous kosher deli in central London while yelling ‘free Palestine’ has walked free from court.
Parts of Mary Clarke’s astonishing attack on customers of Reubens Café and Bakery on Baker Street in the West End were caught on camera.
She launched into her antisemitic rant after first asking the diners whether the cafe was kosher.
Clarke, who had been binge drinking, then accused innocent families enjoying snacks in Reubens of ‘killing babies’ before screaming ‘Free Palestine’ in their faces.
One diner can be heard in the footage of the incident last July saying that Clarke had broken their phone by throwing it on the floor, and ‘said something about Jewish’.
In the clip, Clarke, wearing a baseball cap and gym wear, brazenly screams: ‘I’m from f*cking Ireland’ before she throws food over the diners, including hurling a bowl of chips onto the floor.
She then walks off and continues to yell incoherently before turning her attention to a group of men drinking at a table next door to the cafe.
Rhianne Neil, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant walked by and approached the table.
‘Clarke started shouting “Free Palestine” and walked away before returning to the table.’
Mary Clarke launched an astonishing attack on customers at Reubens Café and Bakery in London’s West End after asking diners if the establishment was kosher
She has since been handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of racially aggravated harassment, one count of racially aggravated criminal damage and one count of racially aggravated common assault
Miss Neil said she then yelled: ‘“I’m Irish this is my country, I’m the only one saving babies these Jews are killing”.’
The prosecutor read from a witness statement from Reuben’s manager, Simmy Grover, who described the incident as ‘abusive, alarming and distressing’. He said: ‘I find this behaviour disgusting and unacceptable.’
Clarke, from Camden, earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated harassment and one count of racially aggravated criminal damage.
She also pleaded guilty to one count of racially aggravated common assault.
Clarke appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court today wearing a black belted coat over a white shirt, with her hair tied back in a ponytail.
Jacqui Joseph, defending, said: ‘She is totally mortified by her behaviour, she totally accepts her responsibility.
‘She’d lost her mother, who she’s very close to, a year prior to that. She was in essence, binge drinking. She was under the influence of alcohol.’
Clarke ‘resides alone with her four-year-old son’ and is in receipt of benefits but is ‘actively seeking work’, the court was told.
District Judge Sam Gozee told Clarke: ‘You targeted the cafe, clearly knowing that it was part of the Jewish community, and making comments of a distressing nature to those who were simply enjoying the cafe.
Clarke, who had been binge drinking then accused innocent families of ‘killing babies’ before screaming ‘Free Palestine’.
In the clip she was also heard brazenly screaming: ‘I’m from f**king Ireland’ before throwing a bowl of chips on to the floor
‘This was a sustained attack. You caused distress to multiple persons who were present at the cafe, and as I’ve said, there was clearly an element of targeting.
‘The offence was more serious because it was committed under the influence of alcohol. Your behaviour was a response to your consumption of alcohol, inhibiting your behaviour.’
Clarke could be seen nodding in the dock as the judge told her that her remorse was ‘clearly very genuine towards all the members of the public that were affected by your behaviour of the day’.
‘Racial aggravation is the predominant motivation of these offences, I consider that that means a custodial sentence is appropriate for these offences.’
Judge Gozee decided to suspend Clarke’s sentence for the sake of her child, for whom she is the sole carer.
She was sentenced to 25 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, during which period she will be supervised by probation.
She was also ordered to follow an alcohol abstinence programme, and she will be fitted with a tag to monitor her alcohol consumption.
Clarke was further ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of the victims of assault and £43.50 to the cafe to cover the cost of the items she damaged.
Clarke told the judge she understood and thanked him for suspending her sentence.
The Jewish Community Security Trust previously said it was aware of the incident and sent officers to the scene to support the families involved.
A spokesperson said: ‘This is one of many antisemitic incidents to happen in recent months in which Jews have been subjected to hatred and abuse, with Israel used as the excuse.’
