Woman hit by shopping basket after her racist rant Yob showered men with spit

A woman who racially abused two shopkeepers when she was barred from their Paisley store was hit with a shopping basket.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard Melanie Feehan, 40, hurled abuse at shopkeepers Balbar and Kamal Singh.

This came after she was asked to leave their You Save shop in Broomlands Street on October 20 last year.

The court was told that Feehan was in such a highly-agitated state that she showered the men with spit, prompting an angry reaction.

Feehan, from Ferguslie Walk, got angry when she was asked to leave the premises and, at first, demanded to know why she was being ejected.

Both men followed her to the door as she stood there and hurled abuse at them.

Things became physical and she was pushed into the street before being struck by a shopping basket brandished by one of the men.

That happened after she was heard to shout “black b******s” and they felt she had been spitting at them.

Police were called in after she finally left and they looked at CCTV footage.

Feehan was traced to her home and arrested.

The court was told there had been an earlier incident in the town’s Craw Road on September 20 last year, involving a confrontation with police who were detaining someone Feehan had been with.

Feehan felt officers were being too heavy handed and she had to be restrained when she approached them to complain. She ended up face down on the road with her head in a puddle and spat some of the dirty water out in the officers’ direction.

In court on Monday, Feehan admitted the shop offence and police assault.

Defence agent Gordon Ritchie said Feehan had a long-standing, underlying alcohol consumption problem and in the cold light of day was “extremely apologetic and regretful”.

Mr Ritchie said Feehan was held on remand for four and a half months, which is the equivalent of a nine-month jail term.

He asked Sheriff Tom McCartney to take this into account when considering an appropriate disposal.

Sheriff McCartney deferred sentence for background reports to be compiled and remanded Feehan for those to be prepared, telling her she would be sentenced on her return to court in March.