A teenager who sprayed swastikas and an anti-semitic phrase on signs and walls in Nairn has been told his actions were “staggeringly offensive”.
Peter Fonseca, 18, admitted three charges of vandalism aggravated by religious and racial prejudice after daubing the Nazi symbol and writing “Gas the Jews”.
Sheriff Gary Aitken told him: “If this properly represents your beliefs there is something deeply, deeply wrong with you.”
Fonseca spoke only to confirm his name and guilty pleas, which were entered on his behalf by defence agent Kevin Hughes, at the hearing in Inverness Sheriff Court today.
Nazi symbol spray-painted in park
The charges detailed how between November 1 and 19 last year, at the Riverside Path around the Jubilee Bridge, he spray-painted swastikas on walls and signs.
Then between January 31 and Feb 1 of this year he sprayed “Gas the Jews” on the side of a commerical building on Church Road in the town.
Between the same dates, he also sprayed swastikas on the walls of the changing hut and Jubilee Bridge at Riverside Park.
Sentencing on the teenager was deferred for the production of a criminal justice social work report.
Sheriff Aitken told Fonseca: “I cannot over-emphasise to you how inappropriate at the very least behaviour of this kind is.
“The images and the words that you chose to spray on walls are staggeringly offensive to the vast majority of people – particularly those few left of the generation who fought and died to make sure you have the freedom to live your life as you want.
‘Something deeply, deeply wrong with you’
“If this properly represents your beliefs there is something deeply, deeply wrong with you.”
At the time of Fonseca’s arrest, Police Scotland area commander Ross McCartney issued a statement saying: “Offensive messaging and vandalism can have such a negative impact on our environment and community and will not be tolerated. I would encourage people to report it to us.”
Police had previously appealed to the public for help in tracing the culprit saying: “It is vandalism, it is anti-social behavior, an eyesore and, be in no doubt, it is a crime.”
Fonseca, of Macrae Road, Nairn, will appear before the court again next month.