Sentence deferred over tirade against family

Sentence has been deferred on an abusive Stirling man who smashed up a car with a brick before subjecting a family to a prolonged racist rant.

Gary Dornan, 32, vandalised a vehicle parked on Ivanhoe Place on January 3 before making his way to an address on Woodside Road and shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence, making racial comments and acting in an aggressive manner.

The Beatty Avenue resident kicked off his day of offending by striking the Ford Focus, which belongs to his mother, with a brick causing the front windscreen and passenger window to break. Stirling Sheriff Court heard how the cost of the damage caused came to £150.

Later in the day, at around 6pm, a man who lives at a property on Woodside Road was getting into his vehicle when Dornan approached him and started banging on the window and shouting: “This is not your country — you shouldn’t have this flat at all”.

As the man drove away, Dornan made his way to the address where the man’s wife was at home with her mother, 12-year-old brother and three-year-old daughter.

Dornan began shouting: “Your family should not be here”. One of the women began to video the incident and police were called.

When officers attended they watched the mobile phone footage and the accused was heard shouting and swearing, saying: “He’s going to get a f ****** tanking — you aren’t supposed to be here.

“There should be two people in a house, not 15 Polish and 15 Romanian. Go back to your own country and spit on your country’s face. Go back to your own country and do what you want, don’t do what you want in my country.”

The court heard that he then stuck up his middle finger and walked away. He was later traced by police and cautioned and charged.

Defence solicitor Frazer McCready said: “With regards charge one [the vandalism] this was his mother’s car but was often driven by her partner. He assures me he has repaid money to his mother for the damage.

“It’s clear that in charge three [the racist abuse] this was very unpleasant behaviour. His position is that he had gone to this address with another gentleman. This other gentleman, a witness, was there and became involved in a dispute. The accused then became involved through some misguided loyalty and ended up at the door.

“He has reported to me that he regrets this and he would be willing to do unpaid work. I am not aware of any outstanding cases.”

Mr McCready added that sentencing had previously been deferred by Sheriff William Gilchrist for reports, with both unpaid work and custody discussed as possible outcomes.

Sheriff Richard McFarlane told Dornan: “I don’t see a great deal of regret or remorse in the report with regards to charge three. There is a pattern of such conduct on your record.

“However I am seeing this case for the first time. I have a view, but I subscribe to fairness. Sheriff Gilchrist continued the sentencing process so he could have further information – it is now available.

“Sheriff Gilchrist should take this matter to a conclusion as he clearly has a handle on this.”

Sentence was deferred for another Sheriff to deal with the matter. Dornan is due to return to court next Wednesday (November 23).