Three men have admitted attacking a Muslim takeaway owner hours after the Isis attacks on Paris — but have been cleared of doing so for racially aggravated reasons.
Robbie Smart, Connor Crombie and Darren Macduff admitted their roles in a “fracas” outside the Caspian takeaway in Methil 24 hours after the Paris atrocities, which killed 130 innocent people at the Bataclan theatre, the Stade de France and on the streets of the French capital.
The trio, along with four other men, had been accused of “shouting racially offensive comments” towards Caspian owner Mohammed Khalid during the incident.
However, all seven had their not guilty pleas to behaving in a racially aggravated manner accepted after the Crown deemed there was “not a sufficiency” of evidence to allow them to proceed to trial on that charge.
Speaking at the time Mr Khalid said some of the men who had attacked him were “shouting about Isis” – but added: “Paris was not done in our name, everyone here knows that and understands that.”
CCTV footage shown to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday showed a large scale disturbance outside the shop, which kicked off when worked Mohammed Nadeem, 35, tried to close the shutters at closing time.
More than a dozen men appear to be involved in the incident – one of whom at the end kicks Mr Khalid full force in the face, causing a bad injury.
However, most of those involved have never faced court over the incident, described as a “fracas” by a sheriff.
Smart, 18, of Denfield Place, Kirkcaldy, admitted he kicked Mr Nadeem on the body to his injury, while Macduff, 18, of Craigmount, Kirkcaldy, admitted punching Mr Khalid on the body.
Crombie, 19, of Fosterton Crescent, Kirkcaldy, pleaded guilty to kicking Mr Nadeem on the body and repeatedly punching Mr Khalid, 53, on his head to injury in Wellsley Road, Methil, on November 15 2015.
Kyle Campbell, 19, of Sidlaw Street, Kirkcaldy, Brandon Munro, 18, of Farne Court, Kirkcaldy, Sean Wood, 20, of Hugo Avenue, Coaltown of Wemyss, and a 17-year-old, also of Kirkcaldy, who cannot be named, had their not guilty pleas accepted to all charges.
Sheriff James Williamson deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports.
