A drunk ScotRail passenger who made a girl cry after telling her he wanted to “get his balls out” has been ordered to compensate the teenager with £1,500.
Liam Curry was told by a disgusted sheriff that he was being spared jail time “with considerable hesitation” following his obscene behaviour on a train towards Inverness.
The 28-year-old was also warned to stop drinking if he could not “handle” alcohol without becoming an indecent public nuisance.
Offensive remarks made by Curry after 8.10pm on December 9 last year left his upset victim in tears and running away to exit the carriage at the train station in Kingussie.
When he appeared in the dock at Inverness Sheriff Court, it was revealed that Curry had been returning from Perth after a drink-fuelled Christmas celebration with workmates.
Buckfast-drinker’s festive fun ended in trouble on train back to Inverness
Curry pled guilty to a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
He was travelling with another man at the time of the criminal offence and both had been drinking before they sat down at a table in the carriage.
During the course of the rail trip, Curry drank Buckfast, fiscal depute Karen Poke said.
“A 14-year-old was sitting adjacent in one of the two seats across the aisle,” Ms Poke added.
The court heard that passengers noticed Curry slurring his speech as he made attempts to engage the teenager and some other passengers in conversation.
“This made her feel very uncomfortable. She tried to remain polite as he kept on talking to her,” the prosecutor told the court.
Liam Curry’s victim ran away from the ScotRail passenger at Kingussie station
Despite being told by the train conductor not to consume alcohol, Curry and his friend defied the rule and began to drink Buckfast together.
The 28-year-old then attempted to engage the girl in conversation, which she did not return.
“He started making obscene and rude comments,” Ms Poke said, explaining these included Curry expressing a desire to “get his balls out” and “get his pubes up”.
He also asked, “What is up sexy?” during “a lot of profanity, swearing, shouting,” the fiscal depute explained.
She said: “One of the passengers felt that she had to get up and check if the young female was okay”.
Another passenger approached Curry’s travel companion when he had gone to the toilet to urge him to intervene.
At Kingussie, witnesses – including the girl – got off the train.
Indecent ScotRail train passenger Liam Curry slapped with hefty fine
“When the young passenger ran to her father, who was waiting on the platform, she was crying and obviously distressed,” Ms Poke concluded.
Appearing at the sentencing hearing for Curry, solicitor Rory Gowans said his client wished to offer his “unreserved apologies” to other passengers, and in particular to the “young lady”.
Mr Gowans told the court: “He seems to be genuinely sorry for what he did.”
The defence lawyer added that Curry’s behaviour was “out of character” for the Network Rail worker, who had been on a pub crawl in Perth as part of a Christmas party with colleagues.
“He remembers getting back on the train to head north, but not much else,” Mr Gowans said.
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Curry, of Milton Crescent, Inverness: “Words cannot express the depth of my disgust at this course of behaviour.
“It is unacceptable for anybody travelling on public transport to have to put up with behaviour such as this.
“If you can’t handle drink, you need to not drink. There is no excuse for behaviour such as this and society will not stand for it.
“With considerable hesitation, I will refrain from jailing you.”
Instead, the sheriff ordered Curry to pay £1,500 in compensation to his victim.
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