A wedding guest uttered racial slurs at petrol station workers in a drunken assault misunderstanding.
Daniel Currie, 44, of Haining Avenue in Kilmarnock, shouted abuse at two workers at the Central Garage petrol station in Cumnock in September last year after his daughter’s partner claimed to have been assaulted at the garage earlier that day when buying tonic wine.
However, it turned out Currie’s ‘son-in-law’ had only bumped his head while in the garage and for some reason then told him he was assaulted.
Ayr Sheriff Court heard Currie, who works in the construction business but has been off work due to an injury, and his family had been attending a wedding at a nearby hotel that day.
Upon being told of the fictitious assault, a drunken Currie made his way to the garage and demanded to see CCTV before punching a Perspex screen which struck one employee on the head.
The procurator fiscal said: “Witnesses tried to calm him down, however, due to his level of intoxication he continued to shout and swear.
“The employees had pressed the panic button.
“Police had attended and were initially dealing with a matter going on outside and subsequently had reason to speak with the accused.
“On speaking to him, he [Currie] directed a number of racially offensive remarks towards both of the employees and threatened them with violence.
“While under caution and within hospital, the accused did accept culpability and admitted that he had called them a name, and had gone into the premises and demanded to see the CCTV as he believed his son-in-law had been assaulted.”
Currie's defending agent described the background to his client's crime as ‘slightly unusual circumstances’.
He said: “It’s his daughter’s partner. He sustained an injury at the garage, an injury which was caused by bumping his head on something in the garage.
“And for some reason he’s told my client he had been assaulted at the shop.
“My client made his way over to the petrol station, initially to see CCTV.
“They refused and the matter escalated to unnecessary conduct.
“Upon sobriety and reflection, he accepts he does have an element of remorse. He told me he’s been entirely abstinent from alcohol since this incident.”
Sheriff Foran told Currie: “I’m prepared to deal with this by way of a community based disposal – only because it’s been some time since your last offending.
“This should not be the start of your offending career again.”
Currie was placed on a supervision order for 12 months and tagged for four months, where he must remain at his home address between the hours of 7pm and 6am.
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