Catholic spoke offensively of own religion

A Catholic churchgoer sang sectarian songs and made offensive religious remark about his own faith, a court has heard.

Ralph Muir, 50, was also convicted of making racially offensive remarks which reduced an Asian female to tears.

He claimed the insults were a reaction to a Pakistani boy scaring his dog outside the shop where she worked.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard that Muir, of Seafield, West Lothian, behaved normally when sober.

But when he got drunk he came out with “the most bizarre things imaginable”.

Andy Aitken, defending, said: “These offences are on the face of it deeply racist and anti sectarian. But this is a man who regularly attends – and is welcome at – the Catholic church. That makes his offences all the more bizarre.”

Muir appeared for sentence after earlier pleading guilty to three counts of making offensive religious and racist remarks. Sentence was deferred for three months on the other charges for good behaviour.

Sheriff Donald Muirhead warned him: “You’ll have to try hard not to drink so much and not to let fly with your mouth when something upsets you.”