A Dundee man who hurled a sword at three Muslim men and unleashed a torrent of racist abuse at them after they escaped from a fire has been jailed for almost two years.
Grant Robertson (28), of Buttars Loan, had previously admitted that on January 26, at Craigmount Road, he acted in a racially aggravated manner, which caused or was intended to cause alarm and distress to Mahmut Turk, Emre Sezen and Yusef Akhaya in that he shouted, swore, made racial remarks towards them and threatened to kill them.
He further admitted assaulting the three men by throwing a sword at them.
Dundee Sheriff Court had heard Mahmut Turk had been praying in his flat on Craigmount Road at around 12.10am on January 26 when he smelled smoke.
He rushed into the hallway and saw thick black smoke billowing into the property.
Mr Turk awoke flatmate Yusuf Akhaya, who called the emergency services.
The pair then rushed from the flat and met their other flatmate, Emre Sezen, outside as they waited for the fire service.
But as they stood in the street Robertson climbed out of his first-floor window and began his tirade.
Depute fiscal Trina Sinclair said: “Police attended with the fire brigade and went in to make inquiries.
“Robertson then came to the window of the property and started shouting at the three men, saying things like ‘I will kill you all’.
“Robertson left the window for a short time and came back, exiting the window and standing on the window ledge.
“He was holding a large metal sword which he threw in the direction of the men.”
Robertson then launched a sickening tirade at the three men as police tried to enter to his flat.
When he was arrested he told officers: “I threw my sword out the window at them I wish it got them in the throat.”
He also admitted a charge of vandalism and breach of the peace after he hit a car with a traffic cone, and admitted breaching a community payback order.
Defence solicitor Ross Bennett said Robertson had lost the plot after one of the Turkish men had accused him of starting the fire.
He said: “He was oblivious to all of this, but when he saw the commotion outside he saw the three gentlemen waiting out the front.
“There was a comment made indicating that he was perhaps in some way to blame for the fire and that led to him launching the abuse as described.”
Sheriff Elizabeth Munro jailed him for a total of 23 months.
She said: “The indictment matter is particularly serious and on top of that you have made no effort at all towards the community payback order. To make things worse while you’re on bail you go and behave in this way and attempt to damage somebody else’s property.
“I am satisfied that a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
awilson@thecourier.co.uk