A holidaymaker who aimed racist jibes at a hotel manager and punched a fellow guest after losing his temper because he was given a parking ticket has been fined and ordered to pay compensation.
James McKie’s victim was left with a bleeding lip following the foyer fracas at the Columba in Oban.
At the town’s sheriff court yesterday Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC fined him a total of £800 and ordered him to pay the man he hit £250 in compensation.
In mitigation, the court heard McKie’s behaviour was as a result of mixing medication with alcohol.
The sheriff said: “His behaviour was absolutely appalling. He knows that.”
McKie, 54, also repeatedly spat in the hotel at the port’s harbour and later made homophobic comments to officers at the town’s police station.
He previously pleaded guilty to punching James Parker in the face after he tried to intervene during his rant at staff. He also admitted acting in an aggressive manner and repeatedly spitting in the hotel and making homophobic comments at the police station.
And he admitted behaving in a racially-aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress to hotel manager Vikas Gupta.
McKie, of 19 Northwood Road, Tullibody, Alloa, was on a short break with his wife at the Columba Hotel. Things turned nasty after he got a ticket in the council car park on the North Pier on March 27.
The court previously heard that he became aggressive and was swearing in the hotel foyer.
He used phrases such as “you people” to Mr Gupta, who took it to be a reference to the fact that he was Asian.
When Mr Parker approached to tell McKie he was being racist, the accused punched him in the mouth, which began to bleed.
Throughout the incident McKie spat in the hotel foyer. Police were called and when he was later being searched at Oban Police Station he made the homophobic comment.
Solicitor Jane McLaren said: “This behaviour was completely out of character. He is usually someone who stays away from confrontation and walks away from it.
“He comes before the court with no previous convictions. He wants to apologize to the court for his behaviour, the staff at the hotel and the man he assaulted. He feels very embarrassed.”
She said he is prescribed Antabuse which cannot be consumed with alcohol. Previously if he planned to have a drink he would stop taking his medication seven days prior. On this occasion he only stopped four days prior.
Mrs McLaren said: “He doesn’t think that was a long enough period.”
