Somerset man has spoken out after he was assaulted in Weston

Paul James Taylor, 48, originally from Wells and currently living in Weston-super-Mare, has shared his experience after he witnessed a racist attack and was assaulted.

Mr Taylor told the County Gazette and the Mercury that on June 6 he was walking home after a Tesco shop and was trying to catch a glimpse of Summer Fest at the Beach.

As he continued walking, he claimed he saw Kai Easen, 22, of Swindon, confronting a taxi driver and using racist language including the "p-word" and the "n-word".

He said: "It got really racist; he was a black guy [the taxi driver], so he [Easen] started shouting really racist things.

"It was all so racist; [he was] only attacking him because he was black. If he were white, I don't think [Easen] would have attacked him, to be honest.

"He was so afraid; you could see how afraid he was. He was on the phone with the police the whole time telling them what was happening because it went on for so long he was in more and more danger."

Mr Taylor claimed the taxi driver started getting embarrassed because he was "stuck in the middle of the road" and "people were beeping at him", so he got out of the car.

Mr Taylor described Easen at this point as "belligerent drunk", "in his own world" and "incredibly strong".

He said: "He was like a rabid dog; he would have attacked anyone who came near him.

Paul James Taylor's black eye after the assault. (Image: Paul James Taylor)

"He started swinging at this guy, throwing punches at him, chasing him around his car."

At this point, Mr Taylor claimed he ran over and pulled Easen off the victim and tried to calm him down.

Mr Taylor said: "I was thinking this was crazy as I have never seen anything like this."

Soon after this, Taylor claimed Easen noticed a 61-year-old woman filming the incident, and he walked over and punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious.

Mr Taylor said: "I ran over to stop him.

"When she got punched, I thought 'he is going to kill that woman'; she was only little.

"It got too much. I thought someone would get seriously hurt, so I stepped in."

He added: "He turned towards me and grabbed hold of me as he realised I was going to stop him.

"He's punching me in the head, and I am just getting beaten up on the street. I fall over and land on top of him; he puts me in a chokehold.

"He is literally choking the life out of me, shouting, 'You want to die; you want to die?' and at this point we are both in the middle of the road, and cars are coming, so I am thinking, 'We are going to get run over'

"I really thought I was going to die at one point; I couldn't get out of the chokehold, and I was losing consciousness.

"I wondered if I was going to die that day in broad daylight."

Mr Taylor claimed another man came along and helped him after he "took the beating" and that he was left "quite shaken up" after the assault.

He said: "It was a strange day. It was a brutal attack

"I don't know what happened to the taxi driver; I never saw him again after that. He just left his car in the middle of the road.

"This guy was out of control; he was challenging people to fights in the middle of the street. He was proper out of control.

"Afterwards I felt really strange; I just thought it was such a weird thing to happen. He was really trying to choke me in the street."

Following the incident, Mr Taylor and the other assault victim were taken to Weston General Hospital.

He said he suffered from lumps and bruising physically and experienced anxiety and depression in the days following.

Mr Taylor said that this shows how important it is to step up during incidents and times of crisis and "do your bit" for the community.

Paul James Taylor said he was left with painful bruising after the incident. (Image: Paul James Taylor)

He said: "In the end, thankfully no one was [seriously] hurt.

"If more people stepped forward to help, the incident wouldn’t have gone how it did."

Mr Taylor described the man who stepped in to help him as his "hero" and said another man stayed with him who said he would protect him.

Mr Taylor said: "I think if people banded together a bit more, this wouldn't happen; it would be harder for it to happen.

"When people don't do anything, that's when it gets harder to control.

"I think I did my bit in a way; I felt good about that.

"I felt good about helping those people; it made me feel good inside. It's kind of rewarding in a way. Sometimes helping people can have its own reward.

"If I didn't help out, I would have been ashamed of myself. If I didn't step in and she got seriously hurt or died, I would have felt awful knowing I could have prevented that."

He added: "Just because it is a big town, it doesn't mean you have to keep yourself to yourself."

Mr Taylor said despite it being a "bad situation", "some good did come out of it."

He said: "At the end of the day, people can help each other. You can't let the bad guys win. I think in the end it makes the world a better place."

Easen was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He must also undergo nine months of mental health treatment, abstain from alcohol for 120 days and complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.

He must also pay a victim surcharge and the woman he assaulted £1,500 in compensation.

Easen also appeared in North Somerset Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, September 22 of this year.

Here he was sentenced after admitting to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour/disorderly behaviour that was racially aggravated within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress on June 6 of this year.

Easen was given a conditional discharge for this offence lasting 18 months, and his guilty plea was taken into account.