Man in court over “bizarre” rampage in Dundee mosque

BBC News and STV News report on the court appearance of a man who went on a rampage inside a Dundee mosque headbutting frames holding Islamic prayers and smashing a cabinet containing copies of the Qur’an.

Donald Skene, 38, appeared before Dundee Sheriff Court in connection with the incident which happened last December.

The court was shown CCTV footage in which Skene was seen entering the Taj Madina Mosque in Dundee as worshippers prepared for congregational prayers.

Skene entered the mosque and walked around before punching and headbutting the framed prayers on the walls. His behaviour in court was described in court as “bizarre”.

Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told the court,  “He had entered using Islamic greetings and when he was arrested he refers to members of the congregation as brothers and shouts ‘I’m white but I’m one of you’.”

Skene struggled with police as they tried to arrest him saying  “I didn’t mean it to be religious”, Gilmartin said.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Skene was on licence for a previous offence, of assaulting his sister, at the time the incident happened.

Skene pleaded guilty to charges of a breach of the peace and of resisting arrest but allegations the offence was religiously aggravated were dropped by the prosecution service.

Sheriff Simon Collins QC deferred sentence until 8 July to allow social work background reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing. Skene was released on bail.