A yob spat at a Perth shopkeeper and shouted a mouthful of bigoted abuse at a neighbouring restaurant worker.
Dylan McWilliams ranted phrases in Arabic and told one man: “Go back to your country”.
When police caught up with the 25-year-old and told him what he was being arrested for, he replied: “Holy s***, that’s bang out of order.”
McWilliams appeared at the city’s sheriff court and admitted assaulting and making racial remarks to an employee at the County News store, County Place, on May 11 last year.
He further pled guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner which was – or was intended to – cause distress to a staff member at Sidhu’s restaurant.
It is a breach of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 which came into force last year.
McWilliams was ordered to carry out unpaid work, described as a direct alternative to prison.
Caught on camera
Fiscal depute Stephanie Paterson, prosecuting, said employee Umair Shakeel was working at County News when McWilliams walked in at 7.55pm.
“He purchased items but then began shouting and swearing,” she said.
McWilliams told Mr Shakeel: “Go back to your country, you p**i b******.”
Ms Paterson said: “The accused spat towards the complainer, hitting him on his shirt.”
He then stormed out of the shop.
Security camera footage also showed McWilliams walking passed neighbouring restaurant Sidhu’s, where employee Gursharan Sidhu was on the phone.
He walked back to the door of the restaurant and bellowed: “Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Inshallah, you p**i b******.”
Ms Paterson said: “This was heard by Mr Sidhu, who was shocked.
“This appeared to be racist abuse based on his ethnicity.”
McWilliams was traced by police at his home in Perth’s Victoria Street.
He said: “I’m deeply sorry, man.
“Holy s***, that’s bang out of order, totally my fault.”
Repugnant
Solicitor Lynsey Barber, defending, said her client had never been in court before.
“He is an extremely pro-social young man.
“Mr McWilliams finds his own actions repugnant.”
Ms Barber said McWilliams would be willing to pay compensation to both complainers.
Sheriff Clair McLachlan said: “The trouble with compensation in these circumstances is that it is difficult to put a price on it.
“And there’s a chance people may be offended by it.”
She told McWilliams: “You know you have behaved outrageously.
“You are quite right to hang your head in shame, this was disgraceful behaviour.”
The sheriff noted this was McWilliam’s first offence. “I very much hope this was a one-off and was out of character,” she said.
McWilliams was sentenced to 250 hours’ unpaid work as a direct alternative to prison.
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