Christopher Dalby, 47, allegedly unleashed a torrent of racial abuse after learning that his partner, Amber Gilfoy, had been intimate with a Black man, which he claimed violated the rules of their open relationship, leaving witnesses shocked and the Crown considering racially aggravated charges.

In court, it was revealed that Dalby and Gilfoy had an agreement permitting relationships outside of theirs, so long as she did not sleep with Black men. When Amber disclosed she had broken this rule by sleeping with a man referred to in court only as Mr Marshall, Dalby erupted. According to prosecutors, he “launched into a racist tirade,” hurling racial slurs at Mr Marshall and others present in The Social pub in Southampton one August evening last year (2024).

At the scene, Dalby had already consumed four pints when he began verbally attacking both Amber and a friend, Safia Uddin, using not only racial abuse but anti-South Asian slurs. He even pushed Uddin before being restrained by patrons. Uddin later shared how the incident triggered painful childhood memories:

“That night changed things for me… I immediately broke down in tears”

Dalby, who suffers from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and as he claimed, an “autism meltdown”, pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to racially aggravated intentional harassment towards Uddin. He expressed remorse, stating he felt “ashamed and embarrassed” for his behaviour.

Judge Dan Pawson‑Pounds handed down a 12‑month community order, requiring 25 days of rehabilitation activity, along with a £200 fine. The Crown is now determining whether the racial element of Dalby’s remarks warrants further hate crime charges. Defence counsel argued the incident was a momentary response to personal betrayal, not premeditated hate.