DRUNK BEGGAR GUILTY OF RACIALLY ABUSING AND FLASHING CABBIE AT DUNFERMLINE TAXI RANK

A drunken street beggar who racially abused a taxi driver and flashed his genitals at a busy rank has been remanded in custody.

Robert Hooper, 51, targeted the 49-year-old cabbie on Queen Anne Street after spending the day begging on the streets.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard that the shocking incident unfolded at around 7pm near the bus station while children and fellow drivers looked on.

The victim, who gave evidence with the help of a translator, recalled sitting in his vehicle when Hooper walked past shouting racist abuse and putting up his middle finger.

The cabbie told the court that Hooper then pulled down his tracksuit bottoms, adding: “He was holding and shaking it.”

A second taxi driver corroborated the account, stating he heard Hooper shouting abuse at his Asian colleague and telling him to “Suck on this” before dropping his trousers.

Hooper, from Dunfermline, admitted in court that he was “steaming drunk” after making twenty-seven pounds from begging that day.

While he conceded he had been “a bit cheeky” and likely used a racial slur after being refused a fare, he denied pulling down his trousers or being a racist.

Sheriff William Gilchrist rejected Hooper’s defence and found him guilty of intentional exposure and racially aggravated abuse. Hooper was remanded back into custody, with sentencing deferred until September 2 for background reports.

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