A man was racist and spat at Aldi staff who caught him trying to “steal” booze.

Staff at the Aldi on Swindon’s Drove Road believed Michael Heggie, 31, of no fixed abode, was trying to steal when he retaliated with the racist attack.

He was sentenced for offences at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on November 28 after changing all his pleas to guilty.

Abbie Winters, prosecuting, explained how it all happened on March 22 when Heggie was challenged by an Aldi manager for allegedly stealing.

Heggie pushed the manager in the chest and did an “impression of someone wearing a turban” and a “mock Punjabi dance” and said: “You don’t belong here.”(Image: Newsquest)

A security guard stepped in and tried to grab Heggie, but was pushed and punched in the ear. 

While the guard restrained him, Heggie used explicit racist language and spat at him. Winters said: “The saliva sprayed everywhere landing on his coat and on his hair.”

Lastly, he threw a battery recycling container at the security guard before leaving the store on a black e-scooter - on which he was later caught on the same road without insurance by police officers.

The store decided not to proceed with a theft offence, but Heggie was charged with two counts of racially aggravated assault, racially aggravated harassment, and driving without insurance.

Heggie was also serving a community order at the time of the offences.The Swindon Drove Road Aldi, where it all happenedThe Swindon Drove Road Aldi, where it all happened (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Stephens, defending, explained that Heggie lost his mother at 14 to alcoholism and his father left, leaving him in the care of his older brother.

“He found himself from that age onwards addicted to alcohol”, said Mr Stephens. “Feeling very isolated, traumatised and bereaved, he found solace in drinking.”

His brother later committed suicide and while recently in custody he was “very seriously assaulted”.

Since he received a community order he has mainly stopped drinking, doing “great work” with probation.

Mr Stephens said: “This is a man who has shown the ability to be rehabilitated, the ability to understand the nature of his offending behaviour and what causes it, and has shown great strides in addressing that.”

He added that Heggie was “extremely embarrassed by the offence and shows great remorse now that he is sober, wishing to apologise to the staff and witnesses.

The magistrate said: “I'm extremely pleased to hear that since these very aggressive incidents in March of this year, you have been engaging well with the probation service.”

Due to Heggie’s “realistic chance of rehabilitation” through continued work with probation, he was given a suspended sentence.

For the offences against the security guard, he was given a 12-week suspended sentence and £100 compensation, and an eight-week suspended sentence and £50 compensation for offences against the manager, to be served concurrently.

A requirement of the sentence is to complete 30 hours of rehabilitation days. For driving without insurance he got six points on his licence.

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