A racist Dundee pair targeted Humza Yousaf and other city politicians and SNP staff for abuse.
Bigoted duo Carl O’Brien and Tracie Currie filmed themselves storming into a Dundee SNP constituency office to hurl abuse about migrants and the First Minister.
They made more than a dozen abusive phone calls to political staff and left MP Stewart Hosie distressed after confronting him with an outburst about “a majority white nation.”
The ranting duo said they backed Putin’s war on Ukraine and targeted bemused strangers with racist abuse, before clashing violently with police as they were being arrested.
O’Brien, 25, and Currie, 35, are due to be sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court on Tuesday for their day-long rampage.
Persistent calls
Fiscal depute Lee Corr told the court previously O’Brien began phoning the office of Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie at 12.14 on February 24.
Party communications officer Dexter Turriff-Davies answered.
“A male, O’Brien, immediately began shouting, swearing and making racist comments regarding MSP Humza Yousaf.
“The comments included ‘How can you let a man like that run the country?’ and ‘This is a white country.’
“O’Brien named Humza Yousaf numerous times during his outburst.
“Mr Turriff-Davies terminated the call but received a further call almost immediately afterwards, who he could identify as the same male from the previous call.
“O’Brien continued ranting racist remarks about Humza Yousaf, so Mr Turriff-Davies asked him his name and address, to which he replied ‘Carl James O’Brien’.”
Mr Corr said: “The office received a further 11 phone calls – one after the other – from the same mobile number.
“Mr Turriff-Davies believed the comments were directed at Humza Yousaf MSP, due to him being a high-profile name and the fact he was standing to be leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland.
“He also perceived these comments were due to his ethnicity.
“These comments made the witness feel uncomfortable and disgusted.”
Broughty Ferry-based health secretary Mr Yousaf went on to narrowly win the leadership contest and was formally sworn in as Nicola Sturgeon’s successor in March.
Abuse at constituency office
Mr Corr went on: “At 12.50 pm Mr Hosie was awaiting a constituent arriving when O’Brien and Currie arrived and began shouting and swearing.”
O’Brien told the MP: “Stop these migrants coming over here in boats, it’s a majority white nation.”
Mr Corr said Mr Turriff-Davies was present and could easily identify O’Brien as earlier caller.
“O’Brien asked witness Hosie if he was MP Chris Law but Mr Hosie explained who he was and what his job involved.
“Currie didn’t say anything but appeared to be filming what was happening.
“Witness Hosie de-escalated the incident and both accused left the area.
“He was left feeling anxious as a result of the interaction with both accused.”
At 12.33 a staff member at the Parliamentary Office of MSP, and now Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Shona Robison, had answered a phone call from O’Brien.
“The male on the other end of the phone said he wanted to speak about Humza Yousaf being racist, before aggressively stating there is an attack on the white race.
“The accused repeated his comments a few times before the witness ended the call.
“The same number made two further calls to the office but she ignored them due to his behaviour when they first spoke.”
Arrest and further abuse
The court was told the pair were in Seagate and became immediately hostile when their taxi was stopped by police, who had initially wanted to speak to the driver.
As Currie filmed on her phone, O’Brien began ranting: “F**k Ukraine. I stand by Russia. I stand by President Putin.
“Illegal immigrants are coming over here and raping our white women.”
They then turned their attention to a pair of cousins leaving a nearby takeaway.
O’Brien shouted: “F**k the Quran. F**k Islam.”
Currie shouted: “You black b******s.”
The were distressed by the abuse and the police, still present, arrested Currie and O’Brien.
At police HQ in Dundee, O’Brien freely admitted he had been at the SNP office earlier in the day.
Mr Corr said: “He openly stated he had told them his concerns regarding ‘new world order’ and his concerns about illegal immigrants.
“He stated he was told to go away and was ignored by the SNP.”
Currie continued to make made violent threats and racist remarks.
Admissions to racism and offence
Currie and O’Brien pled guilty to targeting Mr Yousaf with racist abuse in Dundee.
O’Brien admitted repeatedly phoning the Dundee SNP parliamentary office to make offensive remarks.
Currie pled not guilty to resisting arrest and struggling outside a police station on Bell Street in Dundee as well as being in possession of cocaine, which the Crown accepted.
O’Brien denied a further charge of threatening and abusive behaviour, which was also accepted by prosecutors.
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