A disgruntled eBay customer launched into a racist rant against a seller, telling her: “You lot need to be put down like rabid dogs.”
Denise Simpson became irate over the price of a woman’s top on the online retail service.
She told her victim: “You lot come over here, get everything for nothing and try and scam us and abuse our kids”.
The 54-year-old, of Farm Road, Crombie, persisted with her abusive remarks before the Manchester-based seller, Susan Arutunyan, reported her to police.
Simpson admitted that on various occasions, between April 21 and May 5 last year, she pursued a racially aggravated course of conduct which amounted to harassment of the woman by repeatedly sending messages which were abusive and included racially abusive remarks.
Over the top
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told Dunfermline Sheriff Court that Simpson and the complainer were not known to each other, other than through eBay.
On April 21, Ms Arutunyan received a message from Simpson about a woman’s top she was advertising for sale.
Simpson posted: “That’s a rip-off. I’ve got two for £7.”
The seller replied: “Good for you. That’s your business. I sell what I want at what price I want, so keep your nose out.”
The fiscal depute said: “The accused replied, stating the complainer was a con artist and would report her for the price she was selling clothes”.
The next day Simpson sent a further message on eBay. She wrote: “That’s typical of you lot, breaking the law,” followed by a message saying “you lot always do this and worse”.
The seller did not respond to these messages but was concerned by the language used, said Ms Robertson.
On May 11, the complainer received a further message from Simpson laughing at items which remained unsold on eBay, prompting a response from the seller out of frustration.
Ms Arutunyan received a further response, which read: “You lot come over here, get everything for nothing and try and scam us and abuse our kids.
“You lot need to be put down like rabid dogs”.
The fiscal said this was perceived to be a racist attack and she did not respond.
Accused denies she is racist
While attempting to change her user name on the website to avoid Simpson, Ms Arutunyan noticed further messages from her.
One message, sent on May 12, read: “You are selling your mother’s knickers covered in c** from a thousand pigs, oink oink”.
The complainer then reported the matter to Greater Manchester police and sent them screenshots of the messages.
Checks carried out on eBay identified Simpson as owner of the account.
Simpson was arrested in respect of racially aggravated language and told police: “I am so sorry”.
Defending herself in court, Simpson said: “I am so sorry and so ashamed and embarrassed”.
Simpson said she was in a “bad way” at the time and referred Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon to what he may have read in her (social work) report.
Asked by the sheriff why she persisted in her behaviour, Simpson said: “I honestly don’t know”.
Sheriff O’Hanlon said her background report suggested she did not accept her comments were racist, to which Simpson replied: “I did not think so at the time. I do accept now.
“That’s not me. I have experienced racism. My family are from former Yugoslavia. When I moved here, I experienced racism”.
The sheriff described the content of her remarks as “extremely serious and racist” but accepted her position that she is not racist and is someone who has experienced racism.
The sheriff took into account that Simpson had not been in trouble before and fined her £500.
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