An Arbroath man has admitted racially abusing a Tesco security guard.
Barry Stewart appeared from custody at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards Eric Frimpong on January 20 last year.
Stewart, 51, was under the influence at the Arbroath supermarket and became aggressive.
When he was informed police would be called, he said: “You can phone the police, you don’t know my name,” before adding: “You’re nothing but a black b*****d.”
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “He has a bit of history behaving in this way, particularly to people in authority.
“There does seem to be remorse appropriately expressed.
“It was a difficult period for him.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey placed Stewart, of Weaver’s Close in Arbroath, under supervision for a year – to be reviewed in October – as a direct alternative to custody.
Bathroom door peeper
A young woman caught an older man spying on her through a hole in a bathroom door as she prepared to take a bath. David Cosgrove’s victim had grown suspicious and started filming on her phone through the gap. She caught the 48-year-old from Midlothian squatting and peering through the hole at a property in Fife.
Domestic abuse
Steven Williams, 30, of Sycamore Path in Arbroath, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit a campaign of domestic abuse between August and October last year, starting with a voicemail in which he called his then-partner a slag.
Later, he asked to attend her home to discuss their relationship.
The court heard things had been amicable but when he was asked to leave, he punched the living room door, leaving a hole.
Days later, he attended at the woman’s house uninvited while she had company.
At around 10pm that night, he began shouting names at her.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “There’s a degree of minimisation in terms of attitude towards the offence.
“It’s clear he’s shown remorse.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey fined the kitchen assistant £750, placed him under supervision for a year and issued a two-year non-harassment order.
Just Beat
A Dundee woman who tried to rob a Just Eat delivery driver, before battering him with a metal pole, has been jailed. Drug addict Annie Finlay, 31, attacked the man and shouted “give me all the money you have” after he dropped off a breakfast order to a block of flats in the city’s Polepark Road.
Pinned partner to wall
A Forfar man has been ordered to be of good behaviour after pinning his partner to a wall.
Michael Balfour, 47, of Glenclova Terrace, attacked the woman at her Forfar home on March 15 after an argument about money.
After his attack, she hid in the bathroom while he arranged a taxi home.
After his client admitted assault, solicitor Michael Boyd said: “He would wish to reconcile the relationship.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey deferred sentencing for a year.
Police abuse by political hopeful
A one-time Liberal Democrat council candidate who assaulted eight police officers in a series of violent outbursts has been given a jail warning. Christopher Rennie, 35, clashed with police inside Perth Sheriff Court, at the city’s Moncreiffe Island, in a local Job Centre and at a branch of Greggs. He will be sentenced in Dundee later.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page, or join us on Facebook.
