Jail for man who racially abused worker at Lidl in Carron

John McGregor (35) let rip when his cover was blown at Lidl, Ronades Road, Carron, branding the employee a “monkey”.

Appearing from custody at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, McGregor, admitted the theft he committed on October 27, as well as breaching a community payback order.

Procurator fiscal depute Khadija Sarwar said: “The accused was seen attempting to steal a bottle of alcohol. The value was £6.49.

“He was stopped by staff during which he made a racial remark.

“He called the staff member a ‘monkey’.”

The court heard McGregor has spent a month in prison “drying out” after he breached the conditions of his community payback order.

His defence solicitor told Sheriff Craig Caldwell that his client had developed a cocaine habit and had lost a tenancy prior to him going to jail.

It was also stated McGregor had informed his employer, who is a “good friend” of his father’s, that he was intending to take a month off to find new accommodation to “try to sort himself out”.

The court was told the position would remain open to McGregor because of the nature of the relationship he had with his boss.

However, Sheriff Caldwell opted to keep McGregor behind bars due to his record.

He said: “There doesn’t seem much of an alternative to custody.

“Given your substantial history of offending and failure to engage with various stages of the community payback order, there is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence in these cases.”

McGregor was ordered to serve nine months in prison, backdated to October 29.