A SENIOR environmental health officer ordered a hotel guest from India to sit on a carpet and open his suitcase nine days after the London bombings, a court heard.
Magistrates in Llandudno were told Ajoya Borthakur, a geologist who had been in North Wales on business, was asked for his passport, visa and ticket by two men.
One of the men, Gareth Lukey, 31, a former Halton Borough Council employee who now lives in the US, was fined £250 and ordered to pay £55 costs after he admitted racially aggravated disorderly conduct.
Prosecuting, David Mainstone said it was an 'unpleasant' offence. Mr Borthakur took his suitcase down to the lounge of his Llandudno hotel because a taxi was due to collect him before he caught a 6am flight back to Delhi.
However, while he returned upstairs for the remainder of his luggage, the case vanished.
He then saw the two men trying to open it. They quizzed him about his country of origin and mentioned the possibility he might be carrying a bomb.
Mr Borthakur had been distressed following his ordeal, the prosecutor added.
Defending, Nia Dawson said Lukey had left his Halton council job this summer and married in America last month. He had a wide circle of friends of all ages and race.
Mrs Dawson told the court: 'He's not someone who holds racist views in any shape.
'He describes himself, perhaps because of his employment, as perhaps sometimes being over zealous, over assertive and maybe a little over officious when dealing with members of the public.
'Perhaps, in drink, on this night his demeanour was seen to be different to how he meant to portray himself.' He had noticed the suitcase in the reception.
'Irrationally he decided to go and find the owner of the suitcase. He says possibly the bombings were in his mind,' Mrs Dawson remarked. He asked Mr Borthakur to show he owned it.
She added that no racial comment was actually made by Lukey. 'He's sorry. He wants to write a letter to Mr Borthakur offering his apologies and trying to make up for any distress he may have caused the gentleman. He would hate anyone to leave this country feeling they have been badly treated by British people.'
Magistrates' chairwoman Ann Roberts told Lukey: 'No matter what the circumstances, this sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable at any time.'
