A MAN accused of murdering a waiter in an Indian restaurant was a racist who believed black people "should be shot", a court was told yesterday.
The claim about Michael Ross came in a statement to police from a serving soldier.
Black Watch sergeant Ricky Bews was giving evidence at the trial of Ross, who denies murdering the waiter, Shamsuddin Mahmood, in Kirkwall, Orkney, 14 years ago.
Mr Bews told the High Court in Glasgow that he served in the army cadets in Orkney along with Ross in 1994.
He said Ross, who was in the year above him at Kirkwall Grammar, was his instructor in the cadets and he described him as "a good shot".
The court heard that in a statement made to a detective inspector at Catterick army base in 1999, Mr Bews said: "Michael is a racist and I have heard him say that blacks should not be up here and should be shot."
Yesterday in court, Mr Bews initially told prosecutor Brian McConnachie, QC, he could not remember making the remark. But when he was asked by Mr McConnachie: "Is that what you told the police, and is it true?", Mr Bews replied: "Yes, it's true."
Mr Bews said he had heard Ross make racist remarks prior to the shooting of 26-year-old Mr Mahmood, who was known as Shamol. Mr Bews told the court that the only Asians in Orkney were based at the Mumutaz Indian Tandoori restaurant in Kirkwall.
Under cross-examination by Donald Findlay, QC, Mr Bews was asked: "Racial remarks, words which would be totally unacceptable or even criminal now, were in common use in 1994, as far as your group was concerned?"
He replied: "Yes."
Mr Findlay then asked: "On any one single occasion did you encounter Mr Ross saying, doing or hinting at anything that showed real hostility towards Asians?"
Mr Bews replied: "No."
Mr Bews was then re-examined by Mr McConnachie, who asked: "Were there any of the cadets who were inclined to be more racist than the others?" Mr Bews replied: "Michael, me and some of the others."
He then admitted he had previously told police that Ross and another boy were always making racist comments.
The jury heard that Ross, 28, who had wanted to be a soldier since boyhood, is now a sergeant serving with the 4th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Ross, 29, of Inverness, is accused of entering the Mumutaz Indian Tandoori restaurant in Kirkwall, on 2 June, 1994, with his face masked and shooting Mr Mahmood in the head.
Ross, who was 15 at the time of the incident, is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by changing his clothing and disposing of the weapon.
He is further charged with, while acting with unknown others, committing a breach of the peace outside the Indian restaurant by shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence and racist abuse.
The offence was allegedly committed between 3 May and 24 May, 1994.
Ross is also accused of committing a breach of the peace on 19 May, 1994, in Papdale Woods, Kirkwall, crouched behind a wall and trees, with his face masked.
He denies all charges and has lodged a special defence of alibi. He claims he was nowhere near the Indian restaurant or Kirkwall town centre, but was cycling in another part of Orkney.
The trial continues.
The full article contains 575 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
