A man who took flung food at supermarket staff and called them “social racists” because they wanted him to wear a mask has appeared in court.
Not long after the Sainbury’s confrontation Raymond Sanders rang 999 and told call handlers he was going to “commit murder” at the store.
Sanders’ anti-mask tirade continued when police turned up at his home and he branded them “f****** space aliens” for wearing PPE.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Sanders “fully accepts he has behaved awfully”.
The 45-year-old entered the Holburn Street Sainsbury’s at around 11am on February 16 last year – during the second lockdown – and repeatedly refused to comply with facemask regulations.
Instead, he flung bread rolls and abuse at staff before being ejected, fiscal depute David Rogers said.
Half an hour later Sanders returned to the shop, this time banging on the windows with his fists and shouting.
“He proceeded to walk towards the same staff members and act in an aggressive manner, shouting incoherently and puffing out his chest,” Mr Rogers said.
“He called them social racists and stated ‘Sainsbury’s are racists’ before police were contacted and he left.”
Around 45 minutes later, at 12.15pm, he called 999 to tell police he was “going to commit murder at Sainsbury’s on Holburn Street”.
“He had slurred speech,” the fiscal added. “And when asked why he was going to murder them, he replied ‘because I am a muppet’.”
Officers rushed to his Aberdeen home and found him intoxicated in the hallway and laughing because they were wearing full PPE.
Admits assaulting police
“He stated ‘I can’t take you seriously’ in response to them wearing full FFP3 masks, goggles and gloves when entering his home,” the fiscal added.
“He made comments in relation to their wearing PPE, comparing them to terrorists.
“He then took out his own mobile phone and started videoing officers. When asked to refrain he repeatedly shouted ‘shut the f*** up’ and ‘f*** off’ and asked ‘who are you coming into my house you f****** space aliens?'”
The court heard how Sanders then resisted arrest, repeatedly kicked one officer and called others “muppets and gingers” before threatening they would “regret everything that is going on right now”.
He admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour, another of making an offensive or threatening call and two charges of police assault.
‘He has behaved awfully’
Defence agent Debbie Ginniver said her client had been self-medicating with alcohol at the time and “fully accepts he has behaved awfully”.
“Mr Sanders was struggling significantly with his mental health and the support he needed just simply was not available to him at that time,” the solicitor said before adding “that was no excuse for his behaviour”.
The court heard Sanders had just completed a period of supervision and was in the midst of a separate unpaid work order for previous offending whereby he was going to rob a bank and murder a phone thief.
Sheriff Nigel Cooke handed Sanders, of Rosebank Place, a community payback order comprising supervision for one year and 188 hours of unpaid work.
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