Illegal alien trio working at the village takeaway
And Tarbolton grocer was also at it
A businesswoman and a newsagent boss have been found guilty of employing illegal immigrants.
Three Indian men were working at the Bombay Blue takeaway in Tarbolton owned by Manpinder Kaur without permission.
And another Indian was hired at the Keystore in the village run by Balvinder Singh.
Sheriff John Montgomery called for reports on Kaur and Singh after finding them both guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday.
Kaur owns seven businesses, including a children’s nursery, post office, Tarbolton’s Black Bull, and more than 20 rental properties.
Kaur who also provided housing for the immigrants claimed that she had no idea who was hired at the takeaway.
The 40- year- old, of Fairfield House, Symington, blamed her brother who managed the takeaway for harbouring the men.
But depute fiscal Lori Pidgeon pointed out how Kaur’s name was on bills related to the business.
Depute fiscal Lori Pidgeon said: “I am suggesting to you that you are using your brother as a scapegoat.
“The reason his name is not on anything is because you were running the business.”
The court heard how there were beds and other furniture at the back of the Bombay Blue on Sandgate Street.
During questioning Kaur told the court : “It was my brother who soley ran the business.”
However, challenging the claim, depute fiscal Pidgeon quizzed her: “You knew how much was being paid to the staff but you didn’t know who they are?”
Kaur told the court all transactions were done in cash.
Defence counsel Gordon Jackson QC confirmed with Kaur that Bombay Blue was a very small part on her business portfolio.
He said: “In terms of your businesses this takeaway is very small.
“It has been suggested that you are in there every day with all these guys running the place. Kaur said: “No.” Immigration officers raided Bombay Blue in October 2014 and lifted three men for deportation from the UK.
The court heard how Kaur’s brother, a Mr Singh, knew the names of the three men taken away by officials.
The court heard he had met them at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple in Irvine and had believed that they had the right to work in Britain. Two of them had showed him their passports and the third had a student ID card.
He claimed the trio had only been working at the Tarbolton takeaway for a week.
Kaur was found guilty of assisting with the unlawful immigration of Balwinder Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Jaswinder Pal Singh to the UK, and providing them with accommodation and employment between April 16, 2014 and October 16, 2014 at the Bombay Blue takeaway.
Singh, 43, of Irvine, was found guilty of assisting with the unlawful immigration of Indian national Pangan Singh and allowing him to work illegally between April 16, 2014 and October 16, 2014.
The pair will be sentenced on December 7.