Two sentenced for racially abusing FM Humza Yousaf
- Published
Tracie Currie and Carl O'Brien admitted the offences at Dundee Sheriff Court
Two people who admitted targeting First Minister Humza Yousaf with racist abuse have been given community sentences.
Tracie Currie, 35, and Carl O'Brien, 25, admitted committing the offences in Dundee in February.
The pair repeatedly made racist remarks about Mr Yousaf and prejudiced comments about religion.
Currie was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and O'Brien was placed on a curfew for six months.
Currie was also placed on supervision for 18 months.
The duo filmed themselves storming into an SNP constituency office to hurl abuse about migrants and the first minister.
Shouting and swearing
The offences were committed at the party's parliamentary office on Old Glamis Road.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that a staff member at the office received a phone call from O'Brien, who began shouting, swearing and making racist remarks about Mr Yousaf.
The officer terminated the call but O'Brien phoned back to make racist remarks, and gave his name when asked.
The office received a further 11 phone calls from the same mobile number.
O'Brien and Currie subsequently arrived at the office and began shouting and swearing.
O'Brien told MP Stewart Hosie, who had been waiting on a constituent: "Stop these migrants coming over here in boats, it's a majority white nation."
O'Brien later called the parliamentary office of MSP Shona Robison and told a staff member he wanted to speak about Humza Yousaf being racist, before aggressively stating there is an "attack on the white race."
Currie and O'Brien, from Dundee, admitted committing a racially aggravated breach of the peace on 25 February.
O'Brien admitted repeatedly phoning the Dundee SNP parliamentary office to make offensive remarks.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told them: "MPs and MSPs are democratically elected representatives of the people . You may or may not like them, and you may or may not like their politics.
"You have to express your views in a civilised manner, and not in an aggressive in-your-face ranting, as you have done - as that way lies anarchy."