A shoplifter has been jailed for a horrific racist tirade against a Pakistani security guard at Primark in Perth.
Daniel Cahill flew into a bigoted rage when the employee at the High Street store asked to check his backpack.
The foul-mouthed thug subjected the guard to a series of racial slurs and told him: “Go back to your own country.”
He left the shop but returned a short time later, threatening to “slash” the security officer.
He told the store’s manager: “Why don’t you employ security guards from the UK?”
Cahill, 31, appeared via video link at Perth Sheriff Court and sighed loudly, holding his head in his hands, as details of his crime were read out.
He was jailed for 180 days.
Enraged
The court heard that Cahill, of York Place, Perth, was spotted “acting suspiciously” in the menswear department of the shop on May 10, this year.
He became angry when the security guard, who is of Pakistani descent, confronted him about a possible theft.
Cahill loudly protested his innocence at the front of the shop, as staff tried to calm him down.
But he flew into a rage after a suggestion that something in his bag had been stolen.
Cahill shouted at the guard: “Punjabi c***,” “Punjabi b******” and “black b*******” before bellowing: “Go back to your own country.”
Witnesses heard him say he was going to “slash him up.”
Cahill admitted behaving in an aggressive or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, by shouting, swearing and uttering comments of an offensive and racially prejudiced nature, and making threats of violence.
He also admitted stealing a jacket, keys and earpods from a public bench in South Street in June 10.
He had also pleaded guilty to stealing £128.50 worth of alcohol from Tesco in the city centre.
No memory of offending
Solicitor Gary Foulis said his client had “little recollection” of the incident.
“He has difficulties with illicit substance misuse,” he said. “Mr Cahill has had a terrible time of it for a number of years.”
Sheriff Neil Bowie told Cahill that a custodial sentence was appropriate. “There is little scope for another disposal,” he said.
“The security guard in this case was subjected to abuse in a disgraceful way.”
