Racist YouTuber who stormed Walsall migrant hotel before racially abusing staff given five year restraining order

Joe Gough, 40, from Staffordshire, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court today (Friday) after pleading guilty to assault and racially aggravated harassment. He was handed a 12 month community order and banned from approaching migrant hotels for five years.

Gough clocked up over 3,000 subscribers on YouTube by posting videos of migrant hotels. Last April he and two friends donned masks and filmed themselves entering The Park Inn Hotel, Bescot Crescent. 

When challenged by security guards Gough, of Harplands, Stoke, punched one in the chest and called him 'a monkey'. Video of the confrontation was shown to the court.

Prosecuting Amiee Parkes said: "The defendant was wearing a mask and had his GoPro camera with him, he planned to upload the footage on to YouTube.

"When arrested the defendant told police he did not think calling someone monkey was racist as he calls it family members all the time.

"The security guard he attacked said he now feels anxious going to work and felt threatened at the time because it felt like an organised attack. He said the punch was powerful due to the size of the defendant. Another security guard present said he felt shocked and angry at the racial language used."

Defending, Neil Geraghty said Gough had suffered serious mental health problems due to the stress of the case. A warrant was issued for his arrest earlier this month after he did not attend court due to 'hacking his arm with a meat cleaver'.

He said: "My client has seen the error of his ways, this case has been hanging over him for a long time. He has sold his camera equipment and will not be making these types of videos again.

"He has spent time in custody on remand due to this case."

Judge Simon Ward sentenced Gough to a 12 month community order, with a requirement to attend 25 rehabilitation days and imposed a five year restraining order from hotels with migrants.

He said: "What you did was deeply racist. You used one racist word, but the whole thing is racist as you are basically going to these hotels to point at migrants and asylum seekers saying 'you should not be here'.

"You went to that hotel in Walsall to cause a scene, you were going to publish the footage on YouTube. You wanted to publish your confrontation, you went looking for trouble."

He added: "The security guards job is looking after migrants and asylum seekers, they have no moral standpoint, you went to make their lives difficult.

"You have made it a bit of a mission in his life to go and worry people so I will grant a restraining order so he cannot go near anywhere which is housing migrants for five years.

"You need to take a long hard look at yourself and your behaviour and accept it is totally wrong."

Gough, who had been remanded in custody, was freed after the hearing.