Brechin neighbour involved in sectarian singing is admonished

A sheriff has taken what he said was the unusual step of admonishing a football fan for sectarian singing – after hearing that the man had moved house to avoid any further problems with his neighbours.

David West of Brechin appeared before Sheriff Derek Reekie at Forfar, having been of good behaviour for four months, after previously admitting an offence which happened at his Mountskip Road home in the town last June.

West, 44, had admitted acting in a manner aggravated by racial prejudice which was intended to cause distress to a man and a woman there.

Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said: “This was a neighbours issue. He was singing certain songs of a football team from the south side of Glasgow.

Mr Rennie explained: “There was a lot of drink consumed and the song-singing strayed into sectarian conduct.”

The solicitor added: “His conduct continued beyond anything that was reasonable and he suffered imprisonment as a result of this.

“However, the circumstances have dramatically changed because he recognised this could not go on, and he has moved away from the flat he was living in at that time.

“He has completed a four-month deferral for good behaviour without difficulty, including the festive period.”

Sheriff Reekie told West, of Damacre Road, that he had been “alarmed” by a catalogue of previous convictions, a number involving the same aggravating factor.

“This behaviour is clearly unacceptable, but in the particular circumstances you have taken to stop this situation I am prepared to admonish you,” he added.