Student subjected to racist abuse on first day at Perth College

Nov 13 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A 19-YEAR-OLD Indian student was subjected to foul-mouthed racist abuse on his first day at Perth College.

Drunken Peter Halcrow, who was in full Highland dress, mistakenly thought the teenager was from Pakistan, swore at him and told him to go home.

The student was left alarmed and distressed by the incident and 49-year-old Halcrow, of Inchewan, Dunkeld, was arrested and kept in custody.

The accused, himself a student at the Crieff Road campus but currently suspended, initially denied he had made the racist remarks.

But he changed his tune at Perth Sheriff Court this week and pled guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner on October 9.

He was put on probation for 18 months with a condition that he undergo alcohol counselling and treatment.

He will also have to carry out 140 hours of unpaid community work.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “In the Year of the Homecoming, you certainly were determined to make visitors feel welcome.

“If you don’t recognise irony, I am being ironic. Dressed in full national costume, what a welcome to Scotland.”

During the court case it emerged that Halcrow is currently serving a six-month jail sentence for his third conviction for carrying a knife.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Cole said that the Indian student had arrived at the college that morning and was in the reception area about noon, speaking to a friend on the telephone.

“He became aware of the accused, who was dressed in a full kilt and national costume, walking past him.”

Halcrow turned to him and said: “Pakistanis f*** – go home.”

He student was shaken and upset by the incident but it had been overheard by a member of the college admin staff and the police were contacted.

Solicitor Linda Clark said that the accused had completed three years of a four-year course and had a meeting with one of his tutors that day.

“He was anxious about it and foolishly took alcohol before getting to college. He has little recollection of the exchange with the complainer.

“Since the incident he has not been permitted back into college and has been working from home.

“He’s awaiting confirmation whether they will allow him to complete his studies.”

Halcrow told the court he was “embarrassed” by the incident. “I have no recollection of it at all,” he added.

Sheriff Foulis noted that a psychiatric report on Halcrow, who is studying social sciences, described him as “compulsive and anti-social” and he had a tendency to carry a knife.