A VIOLENT thug terrified McDonald’s customers by shouting racist abuse, revealing his swastika tattoo and assaulting a member of staff.

Alan Merry, 33, capped off a day of harassment, which included stealing an ex-partner’s car, by abusing customers in the fast food restaurant, in Weeley.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Merry, who out of prison on licence at the time, entered the fast food restaurant at about 9.30pm.

When he was told an item could not be added to his order, he became aggressive.

He swore and shouted racist language in customer’s faces, before being approached by the restaurant’s customer care manager.

Lucy Miller, prosecuting, said: “She felt she needed to approach the defendant, he was at this point sitting on the counter top, repeatedly shouting offensive language.

“A bandage came off his leg and revealed he had tattooed a large swastika on his leg - customers commented on it.

“The defendant approached her and, face to face, continued to say offensive words to her, he also swore at her and said ‘Christ will kill you’.

“He took hold of her right bicep and pulled her across the floor to where the condiments are displayed and caused her to crash into it.”

Earlier that day, Merry turned up unannounced on the doorstep of his ex-partner’s home.

She had not seen him since he was jailed for 24 weeks for assaulting her.

Feeling “scared and intimidated”, she agreed to drive Merry to his grandmother’s home in St Osyth.

When they arrived, he snatched the car keys and entered the house.

Fearing for her safety, the victim called a taxi and sought shelter at a friend’s home.

She received a text message from Merry’s grandmother’s phone, telling her Merry had left and she could safely come and collect her keys.

But when she returned to the house, she found Merry had “tricked” her and was still at the address.

Merry kept her at the house for two hours, before she persuaded him to let her drive to Clacton to pick up her child.

Merry joined her on the journey, but the victim managed to exit the car and flee.

Stealing the car, Merry drove to an address in Old Road, where he burst into a stranger’s flat and searched room-to-room for two women.

Ms Miller said the flat was occupied by a woman and her two small children.

She said: “She was very scared for herself and her children - so scared she couldn’t move from the spot.

After leaving the flat, Mr Merry drove the stolen car to McDonald’s.

Although the offences took place in August, Merry wasn’t found and arrested until September 27.

He admitted two charges of breaching a restraining order, racially-aggravated assault, using violence to secure entry and driving without a licence or insurance

Raph Piggot, mitigating, said Merry, of South Close, St Osyth, needed help treating his mental health problems.

He said: “He suffers from a personality disorder due to the traumatic events of his childhood.

“The reason he went to see his ex-partner is he felt she was the only one he could turn to.

“His behaviour in the McDonald’s restaurant is utterly irrational.

“Since 2009 he has been in prison six times, with no probation intervention and no intervention whatsoever.”

Magistrates declined jurisdiction of the case and Merry will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, October 26.