Midlothian crime: Army veteran reported for shouting extremely racist and sexist language in Danderhall

Midlothian man overheard using extremely offensive racist language

A drunk army veteran was recorded shouting racist and sexist comments by a concerned neighbour. Michael McGhee was overheard yelling “n***er, n***er” and “monkey man” during several drunken outbursts at his home in Danderhall, Midlothian, last year.

The 55-year-old was also heard to bellow out the terms “f***ing c***s”, “sha**er” and “Hibby bastard” by shocked neighbours. One man recorded some of the disturbing incidents on his mobile phone before police were alerted to McGhee’s behaviour which took place between August 4 and 13 last year.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told on Wednesday, March 1, Kimberley Gemmell has lived next door to McGhee for “a number of years” and was left shocked to hear him shouting the insults while he was in his back garden.

Michael McGhee outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Fiscal depute Sarah Quinn said Ms Gemmell heard McGhee shouting: “Get in ya sha**er, some c*** over there doesn’t think I was in the army.” Ms Quinn said further comments heard by the neighbour included “useless bitch” and “get a job you fat c***.” He was also heard to shout out “Hibby bastard” and make shocking “graphic” sexual comments regarding his own partner.

The court was told a second neighbour overheard McGhee make racist comments including “n***er, n***er” and “monkey man” during his unruly outburst. The abusive behaviour continued over a period of nine days and Ms Gemmell’s son was said to have been forced to record the “abhorrent” and “disgusting” incidents on his phone.

Police were eventually alerted to his conduct and when McGhee was arrested he told officers “I am not colour racist”. Solicitor Paul Smith, defending, said all the offences had been “committed while he was under the influence of alcohol” and that his client could “not recall the incidents”.

Sheriff Graham Primrose said: “Obviously these are abhorrent offences and are just the sort of thing that make everyday people’s lives difficult, unpleasant and challenging. You must understand this is thoroughly disgusting behaviour directed towards your neighbours and the racist comments really puts it to another level.”

Sentence was deferred to next month and McGhee was granted bail under the conditions he does not approach or contact the complainers.

McGhee pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, smashing a glass bottle, acting aggressively, uttering remarks of a sexual nature and uttering derogatory remarks and acting in a disorderly manner, and the offence was racially aggravated between August 4 and 13 last year.

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