A racist former soldier called people at a Palestine solidarity rally “scum” during a drunken tirade in Dundee city centre.
“Your conduct is disgraceful,” Sheriff John Rafferty told Marc Gautier and told him he was considering a prison sentence for the hate crime.
He said: “It’s disgraceful conduct for a human being.
“If you are Scottish, you should be well aware of citizens’ rights to protest peacefully and you have committed a crime – a hate crime – against those properly exercising that right.”
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Gautier joked with a friend he was going to shout “Allahu snack bar” – a play on the Arabic term “Allahu Akbar” meaning God is greater – at the dozens of people who had gathered on High Street.
He initially believed this remark was made privately but it was overheard by demonstrators.
Police initially moved him on but Gautier, 52, returned and unleashed a volley of abuse at protestors.
City centre abuse
Groups of people have regularly gathered in the city centre to voice their opposition to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Prosecutor Larissa Milligan said: “The accused returned and began shouting things such as, ‘this is my country, you are not welcome here’.
“‘I was born here. I am Scottish.’
“A person in the protest shouted at the accused to get away and that he was causing trouble.
“The accused fell silent for a short while but began shouting in a mock Arabic accent.”
It was later established Gautier, a Christian, was saying the Lord’s prayer in Aramaic, one of the Semitic languages.
Gautier shouted: “Oil and water don’t mix. I am from this country, you’re not.
“You are all scum. We don’t want you here.”
He was also heard to shout something similar to “stab us, plunge us full of holes”, which a participant in the protest believed to be a reference to a mass stabbing in Australia in April.
‘Not a racist’ claim
Gautier, of Eastgate Rise in Tayport, was arrested by police after he was described as being “uncooperative”.
He returned to the dock for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to committing a hate crime on April 20.
Solicitor Billy Watt said his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in the army and had been drinking with a friend on the day.
Mr Watt told Sheriff Rafferty: “He has a previous drink-driving conviction from 2010 and is not someone who usually drinks.
“His position is that the ‘Allahu snack bar’ remark was said in private but he did return to the protest and cross the line – it’s wholly unacceptable.
“He is at pains to explain that he is not a racist.”
Sheriff Rafferty interjected: “That does not rest easily with the comments he made.”
Mr Watt said there was “no doubt” the remarks were racist.
“You have referred to another group of people apparently of different ethnicity as scum,” the sheriff said to Gautier.
“The only person demeaned by a comment of that nature is you.
“I have considered a custodial sentence in this case but taking into account features of mitigation, I am prepared to turn away from that sentence.”
As an alternative to custody, Gautier was placed on a 7pm until 5am restriction of liberty order for four months and ordered to comply with 12 months of supervision.
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