A courageous schoolgirl sat in a courtroom, just feet away from the drunk who had gone on a rampage firing racist abuse at her.

The teenager was one of a group of innocent youngsters who had been targeted by Kevin Friend in August.

The 30-year-old from Folkestone had aimed racist comments at a security guard in Thanet after downing a bottle of scotch, beer and prescription drugs.

Then he turned his attention on the pupils who were on their way home, slapping some, pushing others as he used a variety of racist taunts at the shocked and stunned victims.

But one of his young victims decided to attend Canterbury Crown Court with her mother to watch him being jailed for two years.

She said after the hearing: “I just wanted to see what happened to him. I am pleased with the outcome.”

Builder Friend, of Ingoldsby Road, Folkestone, admitted affray, racially aggravated harassment, assault and assaulting a police officer.

Simon Taylor, prosecuting, told how the father-of-three embarked “on a rampage” after arriving in Thanet on a bus, beginning with racially insulting a security guard at Boots in Margate.

He then headed towards the beach and began shouting, swearing and turning over wheelie bins.

He then came across a group of pupils “abusing and physically assaulting a number of them”, pushing one 14-year-old into a bush and fence.

Mr Taylor said he abused other pupils, chased after an eight-year-old screaming “you are disgusting, you are a dirty Muslim.”

He then threatened to kill another child, using the ‘N’ word before slapping some of the terrified pupils to the cheek and leaving one 16-year-old nursing a swollen lip.

“You are disgusting, you are a dirty Muslim” - Kevin Friend to an eight-year-old

After that he went to his ex-partner’s home, grabbing her around the shoulder until she hit him with a mobile phone before escaping. He then assaulted a neighbour by pushing her.

The prosecutor added: “By now a crowd had gathered and he began trying to pick a fight with workmen but was restrained until police arrived. He then assaulted one of them by pushing him in the chest.”

All of the offences, which Friend admitted, were committed while he was subject to a 16-week suspended jail sentence for affray.

Friend claimed he couldn’t remember any of the incidents but was ashamed when he saw footage of his actions which had been posted online.

Christopher Wray, defending, said: “He was appalled and ashamed by what he did. He had been suffering from depression and had been prescribed medicine, which he took after taking alcohol.”

The judge, Recorder James Osborne said it was “a despicable series of offences against young people.”