A SHERIFF ripped into a homeless man telling him: "If you did not drink then you would have a job."

Sheriff Charles Macnair also told Richard Brown, 41, of James Bank Hostel, James Street, Dunfermline, he had a cheek racially abusing an immigrant worker when he hadn't worked for three years.

The sheriff jailed Brown for the racial abuse of a Carlucci restaurant chef while he stopped for a break. 

Brown, who is unemployed, had been drinking in the Seven Kings before he approached a Russian man who was working at Carlucci restaurant on his break.

Brown began shouting and swearing at the man, making derogatory remarks, which customers in the restaurant overheard. 

The restaurant worker told Brown that he did not speak good English and attempted to walk away.

Brown questioned why the man could not speak English and said: "Immigrants are stealing our jobs". 

Brown then staggered off and began following a group of males. Passers-by heard Brown say to them: "Foreign b*******, you should not be in this country, you're taking money out, Scotland belongs to the Scots, you should all go home."

Sheriff Macnair told Brown: "It is somewhat ironic that someone that has not worked for three years is complaining about a hard working man from Russia. If you did not drink then you would have a job. 

"This a serious matter and racial abuse like this will not be tolerated in this society."

Brown was jailed for 100 days after previously admitting that on April 6, at High Street, Dunfermline, he did behave in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm in that he did shout, swear, make threatening gestures and utter abusive remarks and that the aforesaid offence was racially aggravated. 

The incident was captured on CCTV and the police were able to identify Brown.

When officers asked what his feelings towards other people working in Scotland, Brown said he did not have a problem with "foreigners" and got on well with them. 

He also explained that he could not remember leaving the Seven Kings or getting home into his bed.

Defence solicitor Jenny Simpson said: "Mr Brown is utterly ashamed by his conduct. He has been out with others from the James Bank Hostel and he cannot remember what happened. 

"However, he accepts the charge and he is very sorry about what he did. Alcoholism is an issue and he has taken steps to address that. He was drinking alcohol on a daily basis."