St Andrews student sentenced for racist offence

A student who racially abused a Jewish student at St Andrews University has been sentenced to 150 hours of community service and orderd to pay £300 compensation.

Paul Donnachie, 19, was convicted of racially aggravated breach of the peace and of abusing Chanan Reitblat at his halls of residence in March, when he put his hands down his trousers and rubbed his genitals before wiping his hands on an Israeli flag. Donnachie, who was subsequently expelled by the university, also shouted about "a nation built on terrorism" and claimed "they are all suicide bombers".

            The Blackpool student claimed he was a political activist. Another student, Samuel Colchester, was acquitted after the same charge against him was deemed to be not proven. Donnachie was backed in the case by members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC). At court today (Tuesday), his supporters gathered to protest against the sentencing.

            Sheriff Charles Macnair QC, ordering Donnachie to complete 150 hours community service and pay £300 compensation to Mr Reitblat, said: “This was a racist incident. Nobody disputes your right to a political view as to the behaviour of Israel – that’s perfectly legitimate. What you did that night could only do harm for the legitimate cause you espouse to have.

            “In particular the part of your behaviour which I find most serious was that you described Mr Reitblat as a terrorist because of his association with Israel. It’s the direct equivalent of those who suggest that all Muslims are terrorist.”

         Sheriff Macnair told Donnachie that his behaviour was "too serious" and warranted the additional sentence.

            Outside court, Donnachie said he would appeal his conviction, adding: “I believe the sentence is disproportionate. “Mr Reitblat was an American studying over here so he’s from a rich family–I hope he gives the compensation to a good cause and doesn’t just fund his own greed. I plan on applying to other universities now and going to the West Bank to do something good to fight Israeli occupation.”

            Around 50 pro-Palestine protestors turned up at Cupar Sheriff Court to support Donnachie displaying a paint-smeared Israeli flag to photographers and cameramen and others attempting to bring flags in to the courtroom. They shouted “shame”, “scandal”, and “democracy has died” when the sheriff told Donnachie he was imposing community service as a direct alternative to a prison sentence.

            Mr Reitblat, who was born in Lithuania, had been given the flag by his brother. A post-graduate chemistry student, he was in St Andrews for one semester on an exchange programme from Yeshiva University in New York. At the trial in August, when he gave evidence Mr Reitblat said that the experience left him feeling unsafe in the town but added: "I go home with my head held high and can go on with my life and my studies."

            He also said he would donate compensation money to "victims of terror attacks in Israel" including the surviving members of the Fogel family.

Postscript:

Donnachie's sentence was considerably less than that allowed by law, had Sheriff MacNair not exercised his discretion. The maximum permitted penalty on conviction on indictment is seven years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

After the hearing, Donnachie continued the display of insolence he had shown throughout, vowing to carry his campaigning to the West Bank.

Despite the leniency of sentence, with his dismissal from St Andrews University and his academic future now in grave doubt, Donnachie has paid a heavy price for his racism, arrogance and drunken stupidity although it must be questioned as to how much of his behaviour was instigated by the indoctrination of Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), an extremist and racist anti-Israel group with a recorded history of interaction with Holocaust deniers and Hamas sympathisers.

Donnachie's masters at SPSC would never have soiled their own hands down their trousers, preferring to use vulnerable students such as the Donnachies of this world to carry the can. Much like the terrorists of Hamas choose the gullible to carry the suicide bomb.