A pensioner couple have admitted racially aggravated assault after a video of them abusing an NHS nurse in a Yorkshire park went viral, with the incident sparking shock online and prompting police action. The couple, both in their seventies, appeared at a magistrates’ court where they pleaded guilty to racially aggravated charges relating to abuse captured on social media last August.

Fyona Bairstow, 72, and Michael Bairstow, 77, both of Shelf in Halifax, admitted the offence at Bradford Magistrates’ Court relating to an incident in Manor Heath Park in Halifax last August, prosecutors said.

The court was told the incident began after the couple’s dog was off its lead and started barking at a child, leading healthcare worker Apple Moorhouse to intervene and ask that it be put on a lead. During the confrontation, Michael Bairstow told Ms Moorhouse to “go back to your dinghy” while making swimming gestures, and as she attempted to walk away Mrs Bairstow pulled her ponytail, the court heard.

In a victim statement read in court, Ms Moorhouse said she had told officers she was a healthcare worker at the time, and that Mrs Bairstow called her a “stupid bitch”.

The hearing also heard Michael Bairstow told his dog to “get her, kill”, and splashed a bottle of water towards Ms Moorhouse, while shouting “Ban immigrants", Ms Moorhouse’s statement continued,

“When I tried to walk away the female pulled me back by my ponytail causing my head to go backwards. They were very racist towards me, they seemed to want to make everything a conversation about immigrants and calling me a slave.”

Prosecutors told the court that when another woman intervened and asked Michael Bairstow to leave Ms Moorhouse alone, he punched her to the side of her face and said,

“Sticking up for immigrants, who do you think you are?”

The couple both admitted the racially aggravated assault, and Michael Bairstow also pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman who attempted to help Ms Moorhouse, the court was told. The case was adjourned until 15 April for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. The couple were granted bail with conditions that they must not return to Manor Heath Park or contact Ms Moorhouse or the woman who intervened, the court heard.

Speaking outside court after the hearing, Ms Moorhouse, who moved to the UK from the Philippines more than 15 years ago and is now a British citizen, said she feels less safe since the incident and “keeps looking over my shoulder”. She said,

“I feel anxious obviously, every time that I think back, I feel upset."

She added,

It’s a big thing, racism, and it needs to be dealt with. I’ve been here since 2009 and never had anything like this before, for 10 years, it was fine but now it’s got worse. I used to work in healthcare and I wanted to go back but I felt scared … this happened and I just didn’t go back. Caring was my passion but then this happened and it was hard to go back.”

‍“At their age they should know better, but obviously they didn’t.”