Pair who racially abused Yousaf handed non-custodial sentences

Tracie Currie, 36, and Carl O’Brien, 26, were warned they will go ‘straight to prison’ if they do not comply with the terms of their punishments.

First Minister Humza Yousaf was the target of abuse (PA) (PA Wire)

Two people who admitted racially abusing First Minister Humza Yousaf and hurling offensive remarks at other SNP politicians have been warned they face jail if they do not comply with their sentences.

Tracie Currie, 36, and Carl O’Brien, 26, were handed a community payback and restriction of liberty order respectively when they faced Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday.

The pair pleaded guilty in August to repeatedly making racist remarks about Mr Yousaf and other comments about religion on Seagate, Dundee, on February 24.

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

Court papers said O’Brien also repeatedly phoned the Dundee SNP parliamentary office and made offensive remarks the previous day, on February 23.

Nominations for the SNP leadership contest closed on February 24, and Mr Yousaf was one of three candidates.

Currie was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, reduced from 240 for her guilty plea.

MPs and MSPs are democratically elected representatives of the people. We may like them, we may not like them. They have important work to do. They should be able to do so without fear

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael

O’Brien was ordered to stay at his home address between the hours of 7am and 7pm for 12 months, reduced from 18 for his guilty plea.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told the pair they had committed “very serious offences” that were in the “custodial zone”.

He said: “Your targets appeared to be police officers, Ukrainians and Muslims.

“MPs and MSPs are democratically elected representatives of the people.

“We may like them, we may not like them. They have important work to do. They should be able to do so without fear.”

Sheriff Carmichael said the “aggressive” way in which Currie and O’Brien conveyed their political views was “unacceptable”.

He warned the pair that if they “failed” to comply with their non-custodial sentences, they would appear again before him at court and go “straight to jail”.

Background reports said Currie suffered with emotional regulation as a result of drug and alcohol use as well as childhood trauma.

Defending O’Brien, solicitor Paul Bennett told the court he “deeply regretted” his actions and had “turned his life around” by obtaining employment.

Mr Bennett said: “He was using Twitter and he was looking at sites that encouraged him to engage in this kind of behaviour.

“He holds no wickedness towards the First Minister.”