A drunken racist attacked a shop worker with his walking stick, before returning on Christmas Day to continue his tirade of racial abuse.
Umberto Pallotta stormed into his local Keystore on Summerfield Terrace on Christmas Eve and immediately became aggressive towards a member of staff.
The 58-year-old branded his victim a “P***” and tried to force his way behind the till as the terrified man activated his personal panic alarm.
Pallotta then tried to batter the worker with his walking stick, before returning on Christmas Day and continuing the sickening racist abuse.
Following his court case, Pallotta again flew into a rage on realising The Press and Journal photographer had taken his picture.
Pallotta aggressively insisted that our photographer was not allowed to take photos of him and that his case was not of any interest until police and security staff intervened, corrected him and sent him on his way.
During the hearing, fiscal depute Georgia Laird told Aberdeen Sheriff Court said Pallotta entered the shop at 7.23pm December 24 and approached the counter “in an aggressive manner”.
‘Problematic relationship with alcohol’
Alarmed by Pallotta’s shouting and aggression, the shop worker closed the counter and backed away and activated a personal alarm.
Ms Laird said: “The accused called him a ‘P***’ and proceeded to lift up the counter top to approach the complainer.
“The accused failed in his attempt to get past the counter top, which the complainer closed again.”
Pallotta continued to shout at the man, “raising his walking stick above his head and attempting to strike him”.
Thankfully, the swing missed, as did a second attempt, before Pallotta finally left.
However, the next day, Christmas Day, the employee was again working at the shop when he saw Pallotta enter.
Ms Laird said: “The accused was angered by the complainer not accepting his apology and continuing to serve a customer.”
Pallotta again started shouting at the man, calling him a “f****** Negro” and adding: “You smell like s***.”
The foul racist abuse continued as Pallotta slowly made his way out of the shop again.
Pallotta, of Summerfield Terrace, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021, of assaulting and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the man.
‘He has asked me to publicly apologise for his behaviour’
He also admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner.
Defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt said: “He’s a man who struggles with a problematic relationship with alcohol and, more historically, heroin addiction.
“On the dates of these offences, he had consumed far too much alcohol, to the extent that he has no recollection of this disgraceful behaviour.
“He deeply regrets having behaved in this way.”
Mr Woodward-Nutt explained his client was also “puzzled” as to why he behaved in such an “outrageous” way as there had been no prior history.
He added: “He has asked me to publicly apologise for his behaviour.”
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered Pallotta to complete 110 hours of unpaid work and imposed a conduct requirement for him not to enter the shop for a year.
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