A man shouted racist abuse at shop staff, threatened to “trash” the store and toppled a sweet stand when they refused to sell him alcohol.
Nathan Cowie tried to buy a bottle of whisky at Station News in Inverness but staff rejected the sale because he was “too drunk to be served”.
The 24-year-old then said to one of them: “You’re not serving me because you’re a black person and I’m a white person”.
He pulled over a shop display, causing the stock to fall and scatter across the floor, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Cowie, who returned to the dock for sentencing, had previously admitted a single charge of behaving in a racially-aggravated threatening or abusive manner towards retail workers.
‘I’m going to trash the shop’
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan told the court that the incident took place around 4.10pm on January 13 this year at Station News, in Farraline Park, which is also known as Inverness Bus Station.
The business owner and a shop assistant were both present when an intoxicated Cowie entered the store.
She said: “He stated he wished to purchase a bottle of whisky”.
But Cowie was unable to pay because there was no money on his bank card.
Staff then told him that he was “too drunk to be served alcohol” at which point he became threatening.
He said: “I f****** need drink. If you’re not going to serve me, I’m going to trash the shop”.
Cowie also told one of the retail workers: “You’re not serving me because you’re a black person and I’m a white person”.
Then he pulled over a stand of sweets, causing the stock to fall to the floor.
Police were called and Cowie was charged and arrested.
Defence solicitor David Patterson told the court that his client had little recollection of the incident due to “the various substances he had consumed”.
He added: “Alcohol and substance misuse manifest in offending behaviour such as this”.
Mr Patterson also told Sheriff Gary Aitken that Cowie was “a pretty nice young man who clearly can’t handle his alcohol,” and assured the sheriff that the issue is already being addressed.
‘Embarrased and ashamed’
He added: “He is absolutely ashamed as far as the abuse of the shop workers is concerned. He is embarrassed and ashamed of himself”.
But Sheriff Aitken told Cowie, of Westford in Alness: “There is no excuse for behaviour of this kind when you’re sober.
“You appreciated that yourself. You need to stop getting in that state”.
Cowie was handed a community payback order with 12 months of supervision.
He is also required to join the Smart Recovery Programme and any drug or alcohol treatment ordered by his supervisors.
The sheriff also sentenced Cowie to 120 hours of unpaid work in the community.
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