An Arbroath man has been given a structured deferred sentence after trying to burn down his flat and racially abusing police who attended.
Garry Smith will be sentenced for later directing racist comments at Carseview staff at a progress review in the new year.
Smith, 56, previously admitted to recklessly smashing windows and bottles at his ground floor flat in Glenogil Drive on May 19 last year.
He poured petrol in the flat with the intention of setting it alight, endangering the lives of others living in the block.
When taken to West Bell Street police station in Dundee, Smith directed offensive comments at police officers.
Following this incident, Smith spent time detained as an inpatient at Carseview’s Mulberry Unit.
However, doctors felt although he was being treated for mental health issues, he knew what he was doing when he racially abused two members of staff.
Racist comments
On the morning June 5, Smith first made a remark towards doctor Farkhanda Hassan.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, fiscal Depute Lora Apostolova explained Smith had asked the doctor about an issue she said she would raise at a meeting.
As she walked away, Smith said: “Why don’t you f*** off back to your own country.”
On another occasion at the unit, Smith complained to a member of staff about not having had breakfast served.
As she walked away, he told her: “Go back to the jungle.”
Ms Apostolova said: “He had the capacity to make the remarks himself.
“That was Dr Hassan’s view.”
The incident was reported to police shortly before Smith’s release.
‘Underlying animus’
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence for the Carseview comments until the new year.
Placing Smith on a high tariff structured deferred sentence for the incident in Arbroath, which involved police, the sheriff said: “He had underlying animus which is causing him to commit these types of offences.
“These are serious offences and you have a record for this sort of thing.
“I’m told that when you are stable and your mental health is stable, you don’t offend.
“I can see in your record, that is the case.
“Mr Smith, this is a test for you.
“I’m giving you an opportunity to show you can achieve and sustain some stability.”
Solicitor claims progress has been made
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “Your lordship will see he doesn’t have a great record.
“He has returned to this property and he’s remained there since without, it seems, any issue.
“The nature of the offence clearly crosses the threshold for custody.
“There does seem to be progress.”
Smith must engage with mental health services as instructed throughout his sentence.
