A WOMAN racially abused an Indian restaurant worker then assaulted and injured him with her boyfriend.

Tracy Mullin and John Joseph Brendan Dorrian, both of Ardrossan’s Hunter Avenue, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and pled guilty to one charge of Assault to Injury. Mullin, 42, also pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The court heard that Dorrian, 43, was an ex-employee of Sugar and Spice in Saltcoats. He had been working there on April 14 when there had been a dispute which resulted in him leaving the premises.

The following day, the complainer noticed that Dorrian had left his tablet at the restaurant and contacted him to let him know. He spoke with Mullin, who accused the man of having looked through the device.

Later that evening, Dorrian and Mullin arrived at the premises. Dorrian appeared to be under the influence of drink but was calm and asked for the tablet. The complainer said he thought his wife had taken it to hand into the couple’s house and suggested they wait at the restaurant for her to return. Mullin became aggressive and said: “Give me my f****** tablet. You treat your staff like s***.” She then told the man: “Go back to your own country, you black b******.”

The complainer tried to diffuse matters but Mullin wouldn’t calm down. She went behind the bar and picked up two bottles. When the complainer asked Mullin to return the alcohol, she threw one of the bottles at him, striking him on the body. The man then held his hands up to defend himself but Dorrian pushed him back and began repeatedly punching him on the head.

Customers tried to intervene and police were contacted.

The court heard that the complainer appeared dazed and shaken by the incident and he reported having blurred vision. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital as a precaution and was noted to have a graze to his right temple and swelling to his upper lip.

When officers arrived, they became aware that Dorrian and Mullin had also contacted police claiming they had been assaulted. But having heard from customers within the restaurant the police did not believe the couple.

At the time, Dorrian said to the police: “I never hit anyone with a bottle. It was him who attacked us.”

Sheriff McFarlane adjourned the case for reports. Dorrian and Mullin were bailed and will return to the court in September for sentencing.