A drunk Dunfermline man asked a black family of four if they were on holiday in the city and when they said they were only going to Tesco, told them: “There is f***ing Tesco in Nigeria.”
Dean Clark, 41, previously pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and uttering the racially offensive remarks in Bruce Street in August last year.
He had been placed on a community payback order for the offence but Sheriff Robert More replaced this with a £120 fine during a progress review at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
The sheriff also described Clark’s comments as “ignorant and moronic.”
Racism
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court Clark was seen by a witness banging on a door and shouting at the Bruce Tavern pub and appearing intoxicated on August 28 last year.
A short time later he was overheard asking a family of black ethnicity if they were on holiday and the witness found the comment unnecessary as it insinuated they did not belong there.
The fiscal depute said: “The male of the family said they were going to Tesco.
“He (Clark) replied: ‘There is f***ing Tesco in Nigeria.’
“The witness was upset and horrified by the comment and thereafter contacted police.
“While on the phone to police the witness heard a further person call the accused a racist.”
The court heard Clark had denied being a racist upon being charged and had a former partner of ethnic background.
Court papers state the offence to which he pled guilty was racially aggravated under Section 96 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Abuse of police officer
Clark, of Elgin Street, also previously admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Dunfermline police station last November by shouting, swearing and repeatedly making offensive remarks and making threatening gestures.
The fiscal depute said he was in police custody in relation to a warrant.
During the booking in process, he was under the influence and became volatile at a strip search and was placed under two-person constant observation in a cell.
Ms Robertson said he became abusive and made a “throat slitting gesture” towards one of the officers.
The court heard the officer was known to Clark through previous employment in the late 1990s and the accused directed his remarks towards him.
The fiscal depute said Clark also made a sarcastic comment about being “sorry” for the officer’s mother, who had died due to illness the previous year.
Defence lawyer Gwen Haggerty said Clark’s position is he was not aware the police officer’s mother had died.
The solicitor said at the time of the offence was self-medicating on alcohol in relation to pain linked with medical issues.
Sheriff More admonished him in relation to this matter.
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