An investment banker was caught on camera launching a racist rant at a woman on an inter-city train in front of shocked passengers.
Police issued CCTV stills, and a mobile phone snap of Neil Docherty taken by a disgusted witness, in bid to track him down. Within hours members of the public called cops with his name and place of work, Livingston Sheriff Court heard yesterday, and he later handed himself in to police.
Docherty, of Linlithgow, West Lothian, appeared on bail and admitted two racially aggravated offences. He pleaded guilty to assaulting Fella Hammach, 33, on board a Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh train at Linithgow, West Lothian, on August 28.
The 43-year-old also pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm and distress to Ms Hammach by shouting and swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and directing religious remarks towards her using racially offensive language.
Procurator fiscal Catherone Knowles said the assault was witnessed by several passengers on the train, which was packed with revellers returning from a night out.
As the train pulled into Linlithgow station at around 11pm Ms Hammach was unexpectedly slapped to the right side of her head from behind. She said: “The accused was overheard shouting at her: ‘Go back to your own f*****g country. Muslim men are raping women’.”
Mrs Knowles said a female passenger told the accused to stop but he ignored her and shouted: “It’ll be a different story when they take over the world and you’re all wearing burkhas!”
He continued to make racial comments until he left the train at Linlithgow station.
Mrs Knowles said a passenger collected the names and contact details of everyone who had witnessed the incident and passed them to the conductor who contacted British Transport Police. Officers were waiting at Edinburgh to take statements from them and a copy of the camera phone image.
They later obtained CCTV footage from the train and after a public appeal Docherty surrendered himself to police and was detained. He gave a ‘no comment’ interview to police.
Gilliam Taylor, for Docherty, said her client worked as an investment banker and would co-operate with the preparation of reports. Sheriff Peter Hammond will sentence Docherty at a later date.