Court / Prison sentence for man who mocked shop worker’s disability

A THIRTY one year old man who mocked a supermarket worker’s speech impediment and continues to hold a prejudice against physically disabled people has been sentenced to four months in prison.

Scott Anderson, of Hoofields, Lerwick, was sentenced after appearing from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

He admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm on 2 May this year by directing derogatory and abusive comments at a Co-operative supermarket employee at the Holmsgarth Road store.

Sheriff Iain Cruickshank said he had “real difficulty” with a criminal justice report that made clear Anderson continues to believe people with physical disabilities should be excluded from customer-facing jobs.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said he could not condone that view and his client “lacks insight into the impact his behaviour had on the victim”.

The sheriff noted that Anderson had returned from Swansea at the start of May for “a new start” yet had committed an offence within 48 hours.

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Allan said his client’s previous substance abuse had turned into an alcohol abuse problem.

Sheriff Cruickshank said that Anderson had subjected the victim to a lengthy and “publicly humiliating” outburst that was “motivated by your prejudice against physical disability”.

He said a custodial sentence was the only way to deal with the incident and handed Anderson a four-month jail term to start immediately.