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Pair admit racially abusing Humza Yousaf

Tracie Currie, 35, and Carl O’Brien, 25, also made offensive remarks towards other SNP politicians in Dundee earlier this year.

Lauren Gilmour
Wednesday 23 August 2023 16:13 BST
Humza Yousaf and Shona Robison were both targeted with offensive remarks in Dundee in February (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Humza Yousaf and Shona Robison were both targeted with offensive remarks in Dundee in February (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Two people have admitted racially abusing Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf and hurling offensive remarks at other SNP politicians.

At Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Tracie Currie, 35, and Carl O’Brien, 25, pleaded guilty to racially abusing Mr Yousaf in the city on February 25.

Court papers detailed how the pair repeatedly made racist remarks about Mr Yousaf and prejudiced comments about religion in the city’s Seagate.

Following this, they directed verbal abuse towards local SNP MSP Shona Robison, who is now Deputy First Minister, and MP Chris Law at the party’s parliamentary office on Old Glamis Road on the same day.

The court papers said O’Brien also repeatedly phoned the Dundee SNP parliamentary office and made offensive remarks the previous day, on February 24.

Nominations for the SNP leadership contest closed that day, and Mr Yousaf was one of three candidates.

Currie pleaded not guilty to resisting arrest and struggling outside a police station on Bell Street in Dundee as well as being in possession of cocaine, which the court accepted.

O’Brien denied a further charge of threatening and abusive behaviour, which was accepted by the court.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael continued bail on Currie and O’Brien and they will appear in court again on October 3.

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