The mental health of a racist extremist who harassed a Birmingham city councillor will be assessed before he is sentenced.

Stuart Peter John Collins, of Mill Lane, Bartley Green, targeted Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob, who later spoke of the distress it caused.

Collins, aged 50, made offensive phone calls about the councillor to the emergency services claiming she was spreading racial hatred. He pleaded guilty to making offensive phone calls.

It puts him in breach of an 18-month suspended jail sentence after he previously bombarded Ms Yaqoob with a series of offensive and racist emails.

Judge Trevor Faber bailed him, after adjourning sentence for a mental health assessment.  He told Collins: “I want to make it clear that I am not giving any indication of sentencing but I am prepared to make a short adjournment so that the psychiatric team can prepare a report for the benefit of the judge who will sentence you.”

In the latest attack, Ms Yaqoob was repeatedly targeted by Collins who said he was “sick of extremists in the UK.”

Ms Yaqoob said: “I am surprised that he is up in court again. I would have thought he would have learnt that it’s not a good idea to send abusive and racist messages, that’s why he was in court last time and having been on the receiving end, it’s not very pleasant.

“But part of me is also concerned that he has mental health issues and I don’t know whether that has been taken into account, but it does sound bizarre going on such rants. I hope he gets the help he needs.

“He sent me a series of emails with racist abuse, it was very unpleasant, hostile and personal.

“I reported it to the police and they traced it back to him and there was a court case.

It was a relief knowing they had tracked down who did it was because it’s horrible not knowing who is doing it and what could happen next, I have got young kids.

"I thought that was the end of the matter so I’m surprised to hear it’s happening again.”

She said it was important that racial abuse cases were brought to court.

 “I passionately advocate free speech but when it becomes threatening and racist, I think there is a line that’s crossed and it’s important society sends a strong message about that people shouldn’t be threatened just because someone doesn’t like them.”

Ms Yaqoob, whose parents emigrated to the UK from Pakistan in the 1960s has become a familiar figure in the press commenting on issues surrounding multiculturalism and speaking out against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The mum-of-three said she had also received death threats after speaking out against a right wing demonstration in Birmingham, but it had not deterred her from her role as a councillor.

“I seem to draw the ire off two lots of extremists, I get far right extremists who like to give me abuse and I get religious extremists.

“I have had many death threats – the irony is that far right put me in Islamic extremist brand and like to say that about me because I am a Muslim woman.

"Some religious extremists think because I stand for democracy, that I’m not religious enough – for me that’s their problem. They are entitled to their views but when they start threatening people then a line has been crossed.

"I will not be deterred by any type of extremist.”

The guilty plea put Collins in breach of a suspended sentence handed down in January 2010 for religious and racially aggravated harassment.

In the latest incident Collins dialled 999 11 times in one night and shouted repeated abuse at the call taker.

He also threatened to kill an Asian MP and report a racist attack that wasn’t happening.

The court heard that during police interview Collins, who suffers with depression and anxiety, admitted making the calls and said he was drunk.