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A Perthshire plumber who shouted “there ain’t no black in the Union Jack” and “vote BNP” at another man has been fined £800.

In what was described by Sheriff Lindsay Foulis as a “bizarre” case, Perth Sheriff Court heard that David Eggie, 48, of Larch Avenue, Blairgowrie, leaned out of a taxi window to shout the racial abuse at Navin Sharma.

Depute fiscal Jim Eodanable told the court that Mr Sharma was outside the Crown Bar in Blairgowrie at around 10.30pm on September 7 last year when Eggie passed by.

“The accused was walking towards a taxi rank when he turned around and shouted ‘there ain’t no black in the Union Jack’ at Mr Sharma,” he said.

“At this point, the accused got into the back of a taxi, rolled down one of its windows, leaned out and shouted ‘vote BNP, get BNP’ at Mr Sharma, who was visibly upset by these remarks.”

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client had been out with his family on the evening in question and knew Mr Sharma.

“He was trying to tell the complainer about a political book that he felt he should read but he accepts his conduct was of a racist nature,” he added.

Eggie admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner intended to cause upset to Mr Sharma by repeatedly shouting racist comments at him.

Sentencing Eggie, Sheriff Foulis told him: “You must appreciate that you can’t go around behaving in this fashion.

“You offended once when you were a teenager, then 30 years have passed and you appear in court in a somewhat bizarre case. Any repetition will get you into a difficult situation.”