Detective accused of racist jibes towards colleague

A POLICE officer has claimed that he was subjected to racist comments from a colleague.

Farooq Ishaque, 42, said Derek Bolton made the remarks at Police Scotland offices in Glasgow’s Dalmarnock in 2018.

The pair, both detective constables, were working together on the force’s anticorruption unit at the time.

Mr Ishaque said his colleague would put on an Indian accent when speaking to him and bring up the subject of race in a conversation where it was not warranted. Bolton denies the single charge of racially aggravated conduct at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Mr Ishaque stated in evidence that he joined the anti-corruption unit in 2017.

He claimed that employees made misogynistic comments about females, LGBT people and colleagues who were off with stress, as well as victims of rape.

Prosecutor Heather Naismith asked for examples. Mr Ishaque replied: ‘My colleague Derek would reply to me by speaking in an Indian accent. If I asked a question, his reply would be ‘‘Yes please’’ and put on an accent.’

The witness added he was also told ‘‘Yes b ****** ’’ and ‘‘Bloody hell’’ in the accent.

Mr Ishaque said Bolton would bring up race when the situation did not merit it.

He gave an example, saying: ‘Derek said [it was] because I was being charged differently in the canteen. I said it had nothing to do with race.’ Mr Ishaque said the comments were made on a daily basis and he was ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘felt stressed’.

He said: ‘My personal life suffered – I had headaches while at work, I was regularly taking paracetamol.’

Mr Ishaque refuted suggestions that he would play clips from TV show Goodness Gracious Me and mimic the Indian accents himself.

The trial continues before Sheriff Vincent Lunny.