A woman has been given a supervision order after making vile racist comments to a doctor who was trying to help her.
Ashleigh MacDonald, known as McAuley, had been taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by ambulance while intoxicated, but quickly became aggressive.
As doctors tried to examine the 31-year-old and help her, she told one to get his hands off her and made racial comments towards him.
And in a separate incident, McAuley also assaulted a police officer outside Primark on Union Street.
Fiscal depute Janet MacDonald told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “The complainer is employed as a doctor at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
“At about 7pm on July 13 2019 the complainer attended a bay at accident and emergency in order to carry out an assessment on the accused, who had been brought in by ambulance earlier that evening.
“The complainer was accompanied by another doctor.
“Upon entering the bay, the accused appeared to be intoxicated.”
Ms MacDonald told the court when the doctors tried to rouse McAuley she started to mumble “incoherently” and then became “aggressive”, shouting and swearing.
The fiscal said McAuley told the doctor to get his hands off her and made a racial comment.
She said: “The comments were perceived to be racist and directed at the complainer due to his appearance.”
In a separate incident on November 16 2020 police were flagged down by a member of the public outside Primark on Union Street at 8.35pm due to McAuley being intoxicated and causing a “disturbance”.
When police approached her she started to shout and swear before attempting to kick one officer but missing.
She then attempted to punch the officer but again did not connect.
McAuley, whose address was given in court papers as Cairncry Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner at the hospital, assaulting a police officer on Union Street and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence agent Laura Gracie told the court her client was “absolutely mortified” by her behaviour, adding she was had been “heavily under the influence of alcohol and most likely other substances”.
Regarding the Union Street incident she explained McAuley had been upset after being robbed by another woman, but accepted she had not explained herself properly to the police.
Ms Gracie said McAuley had got on top of her drug addiction but had been replacing it with alcohol.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin said: “I have particular anxiety about people who easily make racist remarks, particularly to someone who is trying to help them in hospital.
“Alcohol doesn’t make you say racist things.
“I think supervision is exactly what would help you stop offending.”
She imposed a 12-month supervision order.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.
