A regular customer at a takeaway food store went from laughing with staff to hurling racist abuse at them, Dunfermline Sheriff Court has heard.
Robert Dow seemed to be in a good mood with the staff at Sizzlers takeaway but became furious after being told he had not ordered any food.
Dow, 29, of Meadow Place, Dunfermline, admitted that on May 23 at Sizzlers, Martin Crescent, Ballingry, he acted in a racially aggravated manner towards Imtiaz Ahmed, Ikram Ullah Khan, Hafiz Zain Saleem and Mohammed Ul-Haq by acting aggressively, shouting, swearing and uttering racially offensive remarks.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said the incident occurred at around 9.30pm. Dow had gone into the shop where he is known to the staff and they were talking.
“They were laughing. They saw he was intoxicated and was in possession of a bottle of cider. He asked for food he said he had ordered but was told he hadn’t ordered any,” continued Ms Yousaf.
He was told if he wanted to order food he would have to pay but Dow said he already had done then started to become abusive.
Defence solicitor Joe Mooney said that one of those suffering the abuse said it was the first time there had been any trouble with him and that he was not racist.
Mr Mooney said his client’s version of events was that “he had been shortchanged and this has happened before, but he accepts he shouldn’t have said what he did”.
Sheriff Charlotte Coutts imposed a community payback order with 75 hours of unpaid work.