A drunken pensioner threatened to have bar staff deported during a terrifying racist tirade at a top Perthshire hotel.
Retired chef John McCabe said he would “call immigration” on employees at Fisher’s, Pitlochry, and demanded to see their passports and visa papers.
The 68-year-old flew into a rage when workers would not tell him why he had been barred from the establishment two years earlier.
He bizarrely claimed the hotel had a policy of not serving older people at the bar.
McCabe was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment following a trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
False claims
Fisher’s Hotel general manager Brian Wishart told the trial he met McCabe in the hotel lounge at about 7pm on April 16 last year.
“I was told Mr McCabe knew that he was barred, but it was such a long time ago he didn’t know why,” said Mr Wishart, 47.
“It was quite evident he had been drinking.
“He made a personal attack on Aneta Wajda, our bar manager.
“He said she was a foreign b**** and that she only employs fellow Europeans.”
McCabe falsely claimed Ms Wadja had stolen from him and had taken money from the bar.
Mr Wishart said he would ask why McCabe had been barred and would get back to him at a later date.
McCabe went away but came back about 15 minutes later.
“He was in the hotel’s Coach House bar,” said Mr Wishart.
“He found Aneta and was remonstrating with her.
“He was verbally abusing her.
“He was quite aggressive, standing right next to her.”
McCabe was told to leave or police would be called.
He retorted he would call police himself and went outside.
Policy against older people?
The court heard he re-appeared back at the bar a short time later.
“By this point, he was shouting across the bar, pointing at where Aneta was standing,” said Mr Wishart.
“There was no way he was leaving.
“He made it perfectly clear he wasn’t moving.”
Police were called to remove McCabe from the building.
Asked by solicitor David Holmes, defending, if the hotel had a policy that “older people were being kept away from the bar,” Mr Wishart replied: “No. Obviously not.”
Deportation threats
Ms Wodja said she was scared by McCabe’s outburst.
Bar supervisor Lukas Duda, 36, added: “He was very rude and abusive to myself and my colleagues.”
He said McCabe shouted: “Where’s your passport.
“I’ll get you deported to your country.”
Married McCabe, of East Moulin Road, Pitlochry, told the court the employees were lying.
“I’ve been a chef for 30 years and worked with people of all nationalities.
“I’ve never been accused of being racist.”
Asked by fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson why he did not just phone the hotel to check why he was barred, he replied: “I don’t believe in phones. I’d rather do things face to face.”
“Evidently,” Ms Hodgson said. “Do you regret anything from that evening?”
“No, because I never did anything wrong,” replied McCabe.
Sheriff Paul Reid found McCabe guilty of refusing to leave the premises when asked to do so and racially aggravated harassment intended to cause fear or alarm.
The sheriff said the staff made “credible and reliable” witnesses.
He rejected prosecutors’ call for a two-year exclusion order, banning McCabe from entering the hotel.
McCabe was fined £1,400.
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