Busker ‘Fast Eddie’ released from jail

A NOTORIOUS busker who racially abused and spat at takeaway staff has been freed from prison – on condition that he’s not drunk in the city centre.

Edward Lafferty – nicknamed Fast Eddie – was locked up following an incident on Slessor Gardens in which he terrified a three-year-old boy while playing the harmonica.

The offence was committed while Lafferty was on deferred sentence for three abusive incidents at Curryummy on Strathmartine Road.

Lafferty, 59, has now been given a chance to engage with a mentoring service after sentence was further deferred at Dundee Sheriff Court until December.

The court heard Lafferty had initially gone to the shop on March 4 to remonstrate with an employee.

He claimed a member of the man’s family had been repeatedly mocking him in the city centre.

However, matters quickly turned sour when Lafferty said: “Come here **** ,” while shouting in an aggressive manner.

Three days later, Lafferty returned to the shop and said: “**** why you grassed on me?” despite bail conditions to stay away.

On May 14, Lafferty again dished out a torrent of abuse towards staff, saying: “I’m going to kill you. ******* idiots. I’m going to wreck your skull.”

The busker then wound up in the dock for a fourth time following the incident on Slessor Gardens on June 24.

Prosecutor Gavin Burton said Lafferty was visibly under the influence of alcohol at the time and “uttered incoherent words in a loud voice” which terrified a young child.

Police traced Lafferty, of Kinghorne Place, and in response to being cautioned and charged, he said: “I dinnae gie a **** .”

Lafferty previously pleaded guilty to four separate complaints and appeared via video link from

HMP Perth following the preparation of reports.

Solicitor Jim Caird said Lafferty was a “well-known” figure in Dundee and suffers from learning difficulties as well as schizophrenia.

Mr Caird said Lafferty had not been taking medication for his mental health difficulties and was drunk at the time of all of the offences. He told Sheriff Alastair Carmichael that it was Lafferty’s intention to give up drinking alcohol.

“When he saw the child was frightened he was trying to be friendly,” Mr Caird said.

“He fully accepts that in sobriety the child was frightened and he very much regrets that. The other matters relate to a dispute between him and a member of family of the complainer.

“Some members of his family have been taking videos of him and posting them on social media, basically mocking his musical qualities and his mental health difficulties.

“It doesn’t in any way, shape or form justify what he did but it gives some context.”

Before deferring sentence for Lafferty to engage with the mentoring for men programme, Sheriff Carmichael said: “It’s pretty obvious the main problem here is the drink and you not taking your medication when you should do.

“What you have got to understand is because of the number of offences here, I could send you to jail today but I’m going to give you a chance to show you can be of good behaviour and you can stick with giving up the drink.”

Lafferty was bailed with conditions not to enter Curryummy and not to be under the influence of alcohol in any public place.

City busker Fast Eddie