A Perthshire woman directed a racist tirade at a group of foreign students after her son crashed into their minibus, Perth Sheriff Court has heard.
Allison Stewart shouted and swore at the young eastern Europeans, telling them to ”f*** off” back to their ”own country”, and threatened to burn down their accommodation.
The ”unsavoury” incident took place by the side of Essendy Road, Blairgowrie, on September 1 2010.
Solicitor Linda Clark told the court Mrs Stewart (44), of Aikenhead, Blairgowrie, attended the scene after being phoned by her son Andrew Francis Stewart.
The 25-year-old, who appeared in the dock beside his mother, said he had been involved in an accident and needed her assistance but, on arrival, Mrs Stewart’s concern soon changed to anger and an ”unfortunate” chain of events unfolded.
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said: ”At around 4.30pm Miss Neil, the owner of a local farm, was driving a minibus containing foreign students who were working for her.
”She saw the accused, Andrew Francis, driving at excessive speed on the wrong side of the road and he then collided with the offside of her bus, seriously damaging both vehicles.
”Miss Neil began to assist her passengers in getting out to check that they were not injured and it was then she witnessed the accused leaving the scene. At this point Allison Stewart arrived and started to remonstrate with members of the group.
”Miss Neil made a number of 999 calls to the police and when officers arrived they saw and heard Allison Stewart shouting and swearing at the foreign students.
”She said they should ‘f*** off’ back to their own country, that they were ‘not welcome’, that it was a ‘disgrace’ they were allowed to work in Scotland and that they ‘get away with everything’. She then told them she would find out where they stayed and burn the camp down.”
Subsequent inquiries found that Mr Stewart had been driving without insurance and both he and his mother were arrested and taken to the local police station.
Minutes before the case was due to go to trial on Monday, Mrs Stewart admitted conducting herself in a disorderly and threatening manner and committing a racially aggravated breach of the peace.
Condemning her actions, Sheriff Walter Mercer fined her the sum of £360.
Mr Stewart, who lives with his parents, was fined a total of £450 after admitting driving without due care and attention or car insurance on Essendy Road. He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for a year.
The court heard the collision caused more than £6,000 worth of damage to the minibus alone.
Defending, Mrs Clark said both of her clients ”deeply regretted” their actions. She explained that Mr Stewart had intended to buy the car and made the ”wrong” decision to drive to a nearby garage so it could be examined by a mechanic.
”He accepts he should not have been driving the vehicle at all,” she said. ”He also acknowledges that he should have been travelling at a speed which would enable him to take evasive action when he came upon the minibus.
”He rang his mother and she was naturally upset and distressed. She attended 15 minutes later to check he was OK and found that the persons who had been travelling on the bus were understandably unhappy. There were around 20 of them and she felt they were taking up arms with her son.
”There was a bit of an altercation. However, she accepts there was absolutely no reason to say what she did. It is with deep regret that she finds herself in court.”
Mrs Stewart’s husband, also Andrew, was also charged with committing a breach of the peace but his not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.