Father and son’s trial continues

The trial of a father and son accused of shouting racially abusive remarks and making threats towards a Polish couple in a Southend caravan park continues. Graeme Robert Carlyle, aged 39, of 20 Shore Street, Campbeltown, and Graeme Thomas Carlyle, aged 59, of 99 Kirkwood Street, Clydebank, continued their not guilty pleas at Campbeltown Sheriff Court. On Tuesday, procurator fiscal depute Eoin McGinty called two witnesses, the victims of the abuse, a married Polish couple, who gave evidence through a translator. The husband said that he was at Kilmashenachan Caravan Park on June 11 when he became aware that a fire, on which rubbish, furniture and other items were burned, had been lit by Carlyle Jr. He became concerned when the flames reached three or four metres high because it was very dry at the time and he feared the fire, which was close to caravans, wood and gas bottles, may spread. He noticed that a man who asked that the bonfire be moved closer to the beach was being ‘beaten up’ by Carlyle Jr and that although he expected Carlyle Sr to intervene, he held the man while his son continued to hit him. The witness said that he drove to the owner of the park’s house and reported what was happening. When the man returned to his caravan, his wife ran to him, frightened, because the men had called her names while her husband had been away. He said the men began referring to him as the site owner’s ‘f ****** Polish friend’ and said things including: ‘Go back to Poland’. He said they then threatened to burn his caravan and his car. At this point, the site owner left and called the police, who took both men into custody. The witness said Carlyle Jr was behaving more aggressively than his father but he was called names by both men. The man’s wife gave a similar account of the incident, stating that while her husband was at the site owner’s house, Carlyle Jr and Sr called her a ‘f ****** Polish woman’ and told her to ‘go back to their place, to Poland’. She said she did not know why the men began calling her names, because neither she nor her husband had approached them, but thought it might have been because they were watching them ‘beating up’ the other man or because her husband had driven away to tell the owner. She said she felt scared during the incident. During cross examination of the husband, Carlyle Jr’s defence agent Mr McGuire asked if he could really have heard comments and threats made from 100m away. Carlyle Sr’s defence agent Mark Chambers suggested that all the men had said was that the couple were the owner’s ‘Polish pals’. Mr Chambers asked the wife how she understood the threats, given her need for a translator in court. She said that her English is very good but she wanted to be sure she understood the technical jargon. Sheriff Valerie Johnston adjourned the trial until January 8.