Alness man fined £800 for racist attack
A RACIST attack in an Inverness pub landed an Alness project manager an £800 fine.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood heard at Inverness Sheriff Court today that Alan Chalmers approached Atta Farag in Johnny Foxes on February 20 and asked him: “What are you doing in my country you black b......?”
Depute fiscal Fraser Matheson said the incident happened at the entrance to the pub about 11.45pm and 34-year-old Chalmers spoke to a security officer then punched Mr Farag in the stomach.
“Chalmers said he was Scottish and it was an honour for Mr Farag to be in the pub,” said the fiscal.
Mr Matheson said Mr Farag was in the bar with his cousin.
“He had a glass in his hand at the time but he did not react.”
The fiscal said door stewards intervened, police were called and Chalmers, of Ardross Road, Alness, was arrested.
Solicitor for Chalmers, Neil Wilson, said when he was interviewed by police that Chalmers told them: “I can’t remember anything about it. It isn’t me. We lost a baby three or four weeks ago.”
The solicitor said Chalmers, who earned £2900 a month after tax as a project manager with an engineering firm, was thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour.
He said not long before the incident, his wife’s pregnancy came to a tragic end and the couple lost their unborn child.
“He was working in Caithness and had been commuting and this happened four weeks after the death of his unborn child.
“He was out trying to de-stress.”
Mr Wilson said he had been drinking and behaved entirely inappropriately.
