A former garage manager at Halfords McConechy’s in Altens has been found guilty of racially aggravated harassment and assault against a 17-year-old Polish apprentice.
Tony Jolly was convicted by a jury of repeatedly acting in a threatening and abusive manner towards the apprentice, including making derogatory and racist comments.
The most serious incident occurred on February 17, 2023, when Jolly sprayed a flammable liquid onto the apprentice’s head and set it alight. The apprentice was injured but fortunately not seriously harmed.
The jury deliberated for two hours before reaching a guilty verdict on all three charges against Jolly.
Sheriff Ian Wallace condemned Jolly’s actions, stating that his behavior was “difficult to understand” and “pure luck” that the victim was not more seriously injured.
Jolly was deferred for sentencing to allow for background reports. Halfords McConechy’s has confirmed that he was dismissed shortly after the incident.
During the trial, Jolly’s defense argued that he was unaware of the apprentice’s presence when he sprayed the flammable liquid. However, the prosecution argued that the act was intentional and targeted due to the apprentice’s ethnicity and role as an apprentice.
Source: Press & Journal
