Man jailed after racist fight threat to shop workers

COURT: Prolific offender started shouting and was told to leave store

A prolific Forfar offender has been jailed for a racially-charged offence in which he challenged two local shop staff to a fight.

Graham Soave walked into the Market Street Spar on a Saturday afternoon but got into a bust-up with staff at the counter.

Already on bail at the time, the 28-year-old was told to leave, but did not take kindly to being thrown out and hurled racial abuse at the two men.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-brown sentenced Soave to four months’ imprisonment, concurrent to the term his is serving.

Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan told Forfar Sheriff Court the incident happened around 2.15pm when Soave, of the town’s Bell Place, approached the counter to pay for items, then picked up a lighter, but was asked to put it back.

“He began shouting, stating he was not a thief.

“Due to the shouting he was asked to leave the store and not come back,” the fiscal said.

He asked one man to come out for a fight, then left but remained outside the shop.

The two men asked him to move on and Soave again asked them for a fight, saying: “There are too many cameras here, come round the corner you ******* Pakis.”

Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said the accused had recently been sentenced to 15 months at Dundee for other matters, including bail breaches, with an earliest release date of August.

“Prior to that he appeared in this court early in the new year,” said the solicitor.

“He was on a bail curfew and had been drinking with friends in Forfar, but then went to Kirriemuir and tried to get into the wrong address there, so it wasn’t a good start to the year for him in a custody suite.

“The court will be familiar with Mr Soave and on this occasion he was on prescribed medication with medical advice to avoid alcohol.

“He went to his local shop, where the shopkeepers know him. He is pleasant to them when he is sober, but he wasn’t sober that day.

“He’s apologetic and pled guilty to this from the outset.

“He is a model prisoner. He is a welder to trade and is trying to bring his welding up to date while he is in prison.”

gbrown@thecourier.co.uk

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He is pleasant to them when he is sober, but he wasn’t sober that day

Graham Soave was sentenced at Forfar Sheriff Court.