A man who went on a “bizarre” rampage through a mosque – grappling with worshippers, butting prayers posted on the wall and smashing cases containing copies of the Koran faces jail.
Donald Skene shouted “I’m white but I’m one of you, brothers” to the Muslim congregation at Dundee’s Taj Madina Mosque when he was arrested at the end of his 16-minute tirade.
The attack, at the mosque in Dundee’s Victoria Road, was captured in full on CCTV.
In it, Skene is first seen entering the mosque’s wash room – where he wanders around crying as members of the congregation prepare to enter the mosque’s prayer room.
Skene – who was on licence at the time of the offence after being jailed for a horrific assault on his own sister – then walks in to the main prayer room and wanders around for several minutes until worshippers start to enter.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told Dundee Sheriff Court: “His behaviour is bizarre – attempts are made to try and calm him down.”
Skene is then seen running in circles round the prayer room as worshippers speak to him.
Miss Gilmartin added: “There are various religious texts in glass frames around the room – the accused punches some of them and latterly headbutts them.”
Skene eventually runs in a circle round the room punching out at various texts before launching himself at full speed, head first into a final frame.
Congregation members try to subdue him but he continues to struggle before trying to escape through a shoe storage room where several small children are seen waiting to enter.
Police then arrive and Skene struggles violently with them as they attempt to cuff him.
When charged by police Skene said: “I didn’t mean it to be religious.”
Miss Gilmartin added: “He had entered using Islamic greetings, and when he was arrested he refers to members of the congregation as brothers and shouts ‘I’m white but I’m one of you’.”
Skene, 38, of Soapwork Lane, Dundee, pleaded guilty on summary complaint to charges of breach of the peace and resisting arrest.
Allegations that the offence was religiously aggravated were deleted by the Crown.
Defence solicitor Gary McIlravey said: “This is a man who has his own issues in the background.
“He is awaiting counselling for post traumatic stress disorder which may have contributed to this offence.”
Sheriff Simon Collins QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Skene on bail meantime.
He said: “Last year he was sentenced for a serious matter and was sent to prison.
“The fact he was on licence and subject to a supervised release order may send him back to custody regardless.”
