Racial abused hurled at Airdrie cop

Mar 10 2010 Airdrie & Coatbridge

A FOUL-MOUTHED woman who racially abused and spat on a female Asian cop was told she was lucky not to be jailed.

Vile yob Karen McBride repeatedly called the officer a black b*****d after she was arrested in Airdrie town centre.

McBride (40) got into bother outside Diamonds night club in Stirling Street at around 1am on February 7.

But she made matters worse when she turned her attention to hurling vile abuse at the police officer.

She also tried to kick another officer while in the cop car as it headed to Bellshill police office.

Fiscal depute Jamie Lipton told Airdrie Sheriff Court how the accused of Constarry Road, Kilsyth, got into bother when she was approached by officers who were on uniformed foot patrol in the area.

He said: “They came across the accused in the street outside a licensed premises and she was arrested for another matter.

“She was handcuffed and began swinging her arms as she was placed into the rear of the vehicle.

“She shouted ‘black b*****d’ which was directed towards the police witness and she said this on numerous occasions. She shouted and swore, ‘you’re all a bunch of c****, you’re all a bunch of f******,’ and kicked out at the police witness.

“She also attempted to kick the driver of the vehicle while the vehicle was in motion.

“Then she turned and spat on the witness.”

McBride’s lawyer Roberto Manini described the affair as an “extremely distasteful incident” and referred to his client’s mental health issues which were discussed in a background report.

“She needs to relearn how to deal with certain situations,” he said before asking Sheriff Petra Collins to consider an alternative to custody.

McBride had admitted three charges and appeared at court last Wednesday to be sentenced. The first offence concerned “obstructing, molesting and hindering” three officers in “execution of their duty”.

The second involved acting in a “racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress”.

And the third concerned the spitting incident.

Sheriff Collins was persuaded that prison was not the best option, but only just.

She told McBride: “You have to appreciate that in the normal course of events the punishment for this offence would be jail. Do you understand that?”

McBride was then told that she would be put on probation for 18 months with regular reviews.

She also has to attend addiction services when advised to by her supervising officer.

Relieved that she was not being taken off to prison, McBride thanked Sheriff Collins as she left the dock.