A TEENAGER has been slapped with a community payback order after hurling racist abuse and assaulting a train passenger.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted to racial harassment on a passenger on board a Newton-on-Ayr to Ayr train on October 26, 2016, whereby she also slapped him across the face and assaulted another passenger by striking him on the head.

She appeared before Sheriff Desmond Leslie at Ayr Sheriff Court last week.

Depute Fiscal, Andrew Lazzarin, explained: “At 19:11, the accused entered on a north bound train to Ayr with a friend.

“The accused began to play music while shouting, singing and banging on the window of the train. The ticket examiner came through the carriage and requested for her to turn the music down.

“As he carried on, the music was turned back up. On his return journey through the carriage, the ticket examiner when to speak to the accused about the music and it seems other passengers on board were looking for the accused and her friend to be removed from the train.

“However, due to their age, the ticket examiner could not let them off. The accused and her friend found this funny which angered the other passengers.

“The accused and her friend started to argue with a passenger on the train, and others intervened and one of them was a male, who the accused approached and demanded he told her his name. 

“She said “tell me your name or I’ll get someone to do you in”. The accused then struck him on the face.

“The accused then approached another male demanding he tell her his name and he refused. She then said, “you’re a p**i b**tard - you shouldn’t be in this country anyway” and she slapped him in the face.”

The court heard that the accused and her friend went and stood in the door of the train and when the train arrived at 19:41 at Ayr, they ran away.

Mr Lazzarin, continued: “The matter was reported and there were no injuries – the accused was traced, and she was cautioned and charged.”

Speaking on her behalf, defence solicitor Tony Currie, said: “Clearly these are serious matters. This happened when she was 16-years-old, she is now 17. She and a friend were both consuming alcohol and were under the influence.

“In her behalf, at 16, she is contrite about her behaviour and to her embarrassment, she didn’t even view the CCTV footage.

“She recognises her conduct and there has not been a repeat of this over the length of time. She is very apologetic and will comply with an order.”
Addressing the accused, Sheriff Leslie, added: “The first thing that I would be considering is to send you to jail.

“This is serious and disturbing of not only the racial offences, but you were completely out of control.

“You will be subjected to a community payback order with supervision for one year.

“You have a serious character for these offences of the assaults on the two men to be committed – you will also do unpaid work to take up some of your free time.

“You will now have criminal convictions on your record.”