Thug who launched homophobic attack on Drag Race star The Vivienne moans 'where's my hate crime' as he walks free

5 January 2024, 13:38

A thug who carried out a homophobic attack on Drag Race UK star The Vivienne has walked free from court after being given a suspended jail sentence.

The Vivienne, 31, who was referred to in court by his real name, James Lee Williams, won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and came third in last year's Dancing on Ice.

Liverpool Magistrates Court heard how on June 16th, Alan Whitfield, 51, taunted Mr Williams in the McDonalds on Edge Lane, looking him up and down, saying things like "look at the state of you", asking him "what have you come as?", "who are you trying to impress?", and referring to him as an "Oompah Loompah" because of his green hair.

In response, Mr Williams asked him to "leave it" but eventually responded to the taunts by saying "look at the state of your face".

Read more: Culture of sexual harassment and homophobia revealed in damning report into South Wales Fire Service

Giving evidence, Whitfield told the court he believed that to be a reference to the skin cancer on his face and responded by punching Mr Williams in the head.

Whitfield, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to assault by beating, claimed the attack was not prompted by his victim's sexuality but because of a comment Mr Williams made about his skin.

Man convicted of attacking Drag Race UK star

District Judge, Paul Healey, told Whitfield his behaviour that day was "appalling", that it was midday in a McDonalds where children were present, and was aggravated by the motivation behind the attack.

He said: "The victim has the right to go about his daily life without being targeted for his sexuality."

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Williams said: "As a proud gay man, I have never hidden who I am or edited myself.

Read more: Police urgently hunt ‘dangerous’ man after ‘violent homophobic attack’ in Islington

"It shames me to say at the age of 31, I am now a lot more conscious that I could be attacked at any moment simply for living my life.

"This has caused me stress, anguish and ongoing trauma."

He added that he travels extensively and regularly comes into contact with strangers with the thought that "I hope this person loves gay people, which is a crazy question to ask in 2023".

His face was bruised and hurt for a week but Mr Williams said "luckily" he was a "6ft ex-rugby player who could take a punch".

Whitfield was sentenced to a 12-week suspended jail term, a restraining order for two years banning him from interacting online with Mr Williams or going to any of his shows, and ordered to pay £300 in compensation.

Outside court he responded to the sentence, telling LBC: "Where's the hate crime for the thing he said about the cancer on my face?

"I'm not happy about the actions I done, I'm sorry it happened but at the end of the day, I've lost my rag because of the thing that was said to me, and it's not a nice thing to say to someone who has cancer is it?"