A disgruntled shopper who posted an obscene Facebook rant about a worker at Perth’s Game store has been fined £200.
In a status update which began “I’m not a racist, but…” Jamie McLeod went on to make a series of indecent remarks about deputy manager George Dobie.
The 39-year-old was found guilty of breaching the Communications Act by posting a “grossly offensive” message to Facebook in September last year.
He made the comments because he was unhappy with a second-hand mobile phone he bought from the St John’s Shopping Centre outlet.
Giving evidence at the day-long trial, Mr Dobie said he was told about the Facebook post by a concerned friend.
He later logged on to the website and searched for McLeod’s profile page.
“I saw a very racist remark,” he said. “I was extremely annoyed. I printed off a copy and decided to phone the police the next day.”
McLeod, of Union Street, Perth, was later traced and interviewed by police. When asked about the comment, he admitted he had done it.
Solicitor Linda Clark argued that McLeod had not broken the law, because he had not sent the message directly to Mr Dobie.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said he was satisfied that an offence had taken place.
He told McLeod: “My view is that this legislation is here to prevent remarks like the one you posted.”
The court heard that McLeod spent £39 on a used phone at the shop. He returned the next day to complain that it wasn’t working and was given a full refund.