Pair jailed for race hate attack on shopkeeper

TWO men who subjected a West Lothian shopkeeper to a racially motivated serious assault during an attempted shoplifting have been jailed.

Andrew Henderson, 17, and Scott Burns, 19, were sentenced to 21 months and 15 months in prison respectively following an incident at the Day2Day shop in Armadale in February.

The pair had previously pleaded guilty to carrying out the attack on a 51-year-old man when they were confronted over stealing items from the premises.

As a result of the assault, the victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face.

Inspector Ian Moffat said: “Lothian and Borders Police will not tolerate hate crime in any form and work closely with the Crown Office to ensure those charged with these offences are brought to justice.

“Both Andrew Henderson and Scott Burns carried out a violent racial attack on a shopkeeper who was simply trying to protect his store, leaving him with painful injuries to his face.

“Local officers carried out a robust investigation and after identifying those responsible, built a significant case against them, resulting in a guilty plea and yesterday’s lengthy sentences.

“We will continue to work alongside our partner agencies and the public to build on positive relationships and remove those who engage in hate crime from our communities.

“The Force operates a remote reporting scheme and victims of hate crime can report the matter to police via a third party to ensure anonymity.

“Alternatively, anyone wishing to report a hate crime can contact their local policing team or the charity Crimestoppers.”