Woman fined £450 for threats at school
A woman who unleashed a tirade of abuse at a Muslim man outside a village school has been handed a fine by Perth Sheriff Court.
Cheryl Newlands opened the car of Asif Ashrab, stuck her head inside and yelled:“I’m going to kill you all. You’re all dead.”
But the 50-year-old was cleared of an allegation that the incident had been racially aggravated following a trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ashrab, who is of Pakistani origin, had claimed that she had branded him a terrorist and a member of the Taliban in front of three children.
He said he“felt angry”at the outburst — and the youngsters were“very scared”and upset.
Newlands had denied behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on November 2, 2016, shouting and swearing at Mr Ashrab, making racial comments, blocking his motor vehicle and making violent threats.
But after hearing evidence, Sheriff Gillian Wade said she wasn’t
Newlands was fined for abusing man satisfied that the racial element of the offence had been proved“beyond reasonable doubt”and deleted that aspect of the charge.
Mr Ashrab told the court:“She was very aggressive throughout this incident.”
He explained that after an initial confrontation outside Inchture Primary School, she got in her car and then stopped diagonally in front of his vehicle, preventing him from driving off.
But Newlands, of Green Julian Place, Inchture, gave a totally different version of events.
As she went into the school shortly after 3pm, she claimed he accused her of being“a grassing cow”and has said she should“prepare herself for a gas explosion.”
She told Sheriff Wade:“I was terrified.”
She was so scared that she went home and made three 999 calls to the police.
She denied making any racist comments whatsoever.
“That’s a complete lie he told about me in this courtroom.”
She said she would “never”use the words terrorist or Taliban but conceded she had shouted and sworn at him.
Newlands was fined £450 when she appeared for sentence.
Solicitor Linda Clark said her client hadn’t come to the attention of the police “in recent times.”
A background report indicated that she wasn’t “suitable”for unpaid work because of various medical issues but she felt she would be able to carry out“light duties.”
Newlands will pay the fine at the rate of £20 a fortnight.