MAN GUILTY IN HATE CRIMES DELANEY FACES 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBINGS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A reputed racist gang member faces more than 25 years in prison after admitting he stabbed two men because they are African-American.

Sean Patrick Delaney, 24, who is white, pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted murder in the Feb. 17, 2004, attacks on Onus Clark and Shannon Thomas at the Tipsy Bull bar and grill and The Britisher sports bar across the street.

``I think it sends a clear message to those individuals who are targeting victims because of their race or their sexual preference or any other characteristics: It will not be tolerated,'' said Deputy District Attorney John Allen Ramseyer of the Hate Crimes Unit. ``They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

``It's probably one of the most difficult crimes to understand, to be singled out because of the color of your skin and stabbed.''

Delaney, whose father Tom Delaney was running for Lancaster mayor when the stabbings occurred, pleaded guilty Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court to two counts of attempted murder and admitted hate crime and gang allegations, Ramseyer said.

If convicted of all charges at a trial, Delaney would have faced up to 19 years to life in prison. Delaney must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and now has two ``strike'' convictions under California's ``three strikes, you're out'' law, Ramseyer said.

Delaney, who was being held without bail, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday.

Tom Delaney dropped out of the mayoral race after his son's arrest.

Before the attack, deputies said, the father and son were ordered out of The Britisher in the 800 block of West Avenue I. The two had been harassing a female employee, and the younger Delaney screamed white power slogans and racial remarks at other patrons, deputies said.

The father and son left, but minutes later Sean Delaney walked back in alone, deputies said. He used a butcher knife to stab patron Clark, 44, of Lancaster, who had been playing pool.

Sean Delaney then ran across the street to The Tipsy Bull, where he walked up to patron Thomas, 37, of Lancaster, who had been waiting his turn to sing karaoke, and stabbed Thomas in the chest.

Bystanders got the knife away and wrestled Delaney to the ground, where they held him until deputies arrived.

Both of the stabbing victims have filed civil lawsuits against Delaney.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com