Man who racially abused begger in street given temporary reprieve

John Hillcoat hurled racist abuse at Roma woman Vasilka Marinova in High Street, Paisley.

Hillcoat, of Reid Avenue, denied calling Marinova “a black b*******” and claimed he had called her “a black cow” because of her “hygiene”.

PC Iain McLelland told Hillcoat’s Paisley Sheriff Court trial that he heard Hillcoat, 31, call Ms Marinova “a black b******” and tell her to “get a f****** job” as Hillcoat walked along the street on May 26 this year.

But Hillcoat said he would never use that insult towards anyone, as he himself had been unemployed for five years.

Giving evidence in his own defence, he said: “I was walking down the High Street, there were lots of people and women with prams.

“I scooted in to the side to let them passed.

“She was shaking her wee box and hit me on the leg.

“I stumbled and went at basically a 90 degree angle not to touch her.

“I didn’t want to touch her and I didn’t want her touching me.

“I said, ‘get out my f****** way’ and called her ‘a black cow’.”

And when asked by defence solicitor Andy Brophy if he was being racist with his comments, Hillcoat replied: “Absolutely not, categorically not.

“It was for hygiene reasons – she is a street beggar, it was about her hygiene.

“Where I come from, Linwood, ‘black’ is an insult for hygiene.

“If I was going to be racist I could have said a lot worse but that wasn’t what it was for.”

The court heard Hillcoat was arrested on the spot by PC McLellan and PC Fiona Mair, who were on bicycles and had stopped on High Street to watch people walking up and down.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew was told that, when detained for the offence, Hillcoat was “adamant he wasn’t being racist” but the police officers could not say the exact words he had used as it had not been written down.

Sheriff Pettigrew criticised the police officers involved in the case for how they conducted the arrest.

But he convicted Hillcoat of breaking Sections 50(A)(1)(b) and (5) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 by acting in a racially aggravated manner towards Ms Marinova, shouting, swearing and uttering racist remarks at her.

As he did so, Sheriff Pettigrew said: “I’m satisfied you did say, ‘I’m not a racist, I wasn’t being racist’ etc.

“Quite why the officers didn’t write it down, I don’t know, but they’ve confirmed they didn’t.

“They should have – they gave you a common law caution [which says they will write down what you say] and didn’t write it down.

“That said, I have no hesitation in accepting their credibility and reliability.

“I don’t accept your evidence – you are guilty of this offence.”

He called for Hillcoat to be assessed by social workers ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case for that to be done.

And, when Hillcoat returned to the dock this week to learn his fate he was given a temporary reprieve.

After hearing that Hillcoat has admitted breaching a Community Payback Order imposed for another case, Sheriff Petrigtew adjourned sentencing over his racial outburst until later this month so the cases can be dealt with together.