A raging lout who racially abused a Dundee father and son who accused him of using a counterfeit note at their shop has been ordered to stay indoors at night.
Kevin Spokes threatened to burn down Umar’s Convenience Store on Pitkerro Road before using a racist slur towards Umar and Khezer Hayat.
The Ballantrae Road man has been placed on an electronic tag after previously pleading guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Spokes’ sentence comes a week after he was fined and banned after drunkenly trying to move his car which was stuck in the snow.
Note sparked incident in shop
The court heard how the Hayats were working in the shop when Spokes approached the counter with goods.
Suspicions arose after Spokes presented them with a £20 note which they believed was fake.
Fiscal depute Christine Allan said: “The accused presented a number of items and also presented a £20 note.
“They believed it was counterfeit. As a means of testing this, one of the witnesses began to rip the note. Due to the way the note ripped; the witness believed it was counterfeit.
“The accused became angry and asked why he ripped the note.
“He shouted: ‘Why did you rip the note? You don’t know who I am’.”
The Hayats tried to calm Spokes down but the thug shouted: “I am going to burn your shop down to the ground,” before using a racist slur towards them.
Spokes, 34, pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner towards Umar Hayat and Khezer Hayat on August 26 by shouting, swearing, making threats and using a racial slur.
Claimed he was called ‘fat b******’ during incident
Defence solicitor Andy Lyall said Spokes, a self-employed welder, was surprised at the way he was being treated and claimed he was called a “fat b******” during the incident.
Mr Lyall told Sheriff John Rafferty: “There are ways of testing notes but tearing bits off them is not normally a way of doing that and it annoyed the accused.
“He was referred to as a fat b******. He accepts that he said what he said but he is friends with other members of the Hayat family and was surprised at the way he was treated.
“He is remorseful and acknowledges he should not have said what he said.”
Spokes was placed on a restriction of liberty order keeping him indoors between 7pm and 5am for 30 days.
