Racist is jailed after losing cool in ice cream parlour

Christopher Teven repeatedly swore, shouted abusive comments about Pakistanis and made threatening gestures during the booze-fuelled confrontation in the D’Lush ice cream and dessert parlour in Bo’ness.

His outrageous behaviour at around 8pm in the premises at 113 Dower House, Grangepans, on June 30, was witnessed by a group of young girls waiting to be served – and caught on CCTV.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard last Thursday that Teven, from 17 Grangepans, had been told by the business owner to stop what he was doing because there were children there, but he carried on being racially offensive and shouting about the terror group Islamic State.

At one point Teven waved a bag in the air and claimed it contained a bomb.

The cafe owner then closed the premises and reported the incident to the police who later traced Teven and arrested him.

Defence lawyer Murray Aitken claimed: “He is at a loss to explain what came over him that particular day and very aware he caused great offence.”

Mr Aitken said that Teven, who has “mild learning difficulties”, was “extremely drunk” at the time.

He added: “He had known the owner and been a regular in the cafe for years.”

Sheriff Derek Livingston told Teven: “Your behaviour was completely unacceptable and caused considerable distress to the business owner and the young girls.”

When he appeared from custody the shamed 21-year-old was also due to be sentenced for being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control and bitten a 16-year-old girl in Victoria Park, Bo’ness, just two days after the incident in the icec ream parlour.

The court was told Teven did not own the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but had gone to the park on July 2 and let it off its lead while he spoke to some youngsters playing on the swings.

It had “growled and barked” at the group before biting one of the teenagers.

Teven told police: “I was just looking after the dog. I didn’t know how much a ‘banger’ it was off the leash. I should’ve been made aware it was like that and can’t be any more apologetic.”

Sheriff Livingston admonished him on that charge, but ordered the five months to follow the end of the 80-day sentence Teven is currently serving for another offence.