A man racially abused staff and assaulted another customer at a popular west coast restaurant after complaining about the waiting time for food.
Brian McConville turned violent and told a member of staff at Ullapool’s The Seaforth to “f*** off back to where you came from”.
He also punched another customer who had simply asked him if he could share his table at the busy restaurant.
McConville, 41, appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court having previously admitted charges of assault and acting in a racially aggravated manner, which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress.
Fiscal depute Shamielah Ghafar told the court that the incident happened on September 9 2021 when an intoxicated McConville entered the takeaway area to order food.
“He was being rude and aggressive and stating that the prices were high,” she said.
He later complained about a 25-minute waiting time for food.
‘Are you wanting a slap?’
McConville refused to take a buzzer that would alert him when his order was ready, so a member of staff had to come outside to shout his order number.
On hearing their accent McConville said: “Oh no not another Kiwi!”
The staff member told him he had the “wrong island” and he replied: “Oh, you are from South Africa? Why don’t you f*** off back to where you came from you fat foreign – back into the kitchen.”
On the same day McConville was sitting in a seating area of The Seaforth when another customer asked if they could sit beside him as there were three spare seats.
McConville replied: “You are wanting a slap, are you wanting a slap?”
Drunk man’s assault on customer
He then pulled back with his right fist and punched the diner’s shoulder, before saying: “I hope you have a heart attack and die.”
Solicitor Graham Mann, for McConville, said: “None of his conduct does him any credit, it is difficult to say anything to deflect from the reality of his behaviour on that day.”
Mr Mann said that McConville, of Beith St, Glasgow, had “very little by way of background before the court” and highlighted that drinking had played a part in the events.
He added that his client was now working in construction in a labouring capacity and was physically and mentally fitter as a consequence.
Sheriff Peter Grant-Hutchison sentenced him to a community payback order with 12 months supervision and 70 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to prison.
