Man who attacked drag star The Vivienne in McDonald's sentenced for homophobic hate crime
05.01.2024 - 15:11
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A man who punched drag star The Vivienne in a Liverpool McDonald's has been sentenced for committing a homophobic hate crime.
Unemployed scaffolder Alan Whitfield, 51, launched a one-punch attack on James Lee Williams, who is famous for performing as the scouse drag queen, as he waited for food at McDonald’s in Edge Lane, Liverpool, on June 16 last year. In December, magistrates ruled it was a homophobic attack.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that the 31-year-old drag queen was subjected to a “barrage of abuse” about his appearance before the defendant hit him on the jaw with a “heavy blow”, leaving his face bruised and hurt for a week. Mr Williams, who won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and came third in last year’s Dancing On Ice, said “luckily” he is a 6ft ex-rugby player who can take a punch.
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The assault took place at about noon in an enclosed public area in the presence of children, who had to be moved out of harm’s way, the court heard. Whitfield pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to assault by beating.
In a victim personal statement read to the court earlier this week, Mr Williams said: “As a proud gay man, I have never hidden who I am or edited myself. It shames me to say at the age of 31, I am for the first time in my life a lot more conscious that I could be attacked at any moment simply for living my authentic life. This has caused me stress, anguish and ongoing trauma.”
Today, January 5, the judge handed Whitfield a suspended sentence, telling the court he had