Vandal, 57, painted racist N-word graffiti on Perthshire village hall

Bigoted Samuel Melloy crept out under cover of darkness to daub the vile slogan on the side of Balbeggie Village Hall.

Samuel Melloy appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.

A bigot was caught on camera spray-painting racist graffiti on the side of a Perthshire village hall.

Samuel Melloy set out in the dead of night to daub a vile slogan featuring the N-word across a community hub in Balbeggie.

The 57-year-old, who stays in the village, was charged by police with a hate crime after the crude scrawl appeared on the busy Main Street venue.

Melloy initially denied the offence and was due to go on trial at Perth Sheriff Court.

But he change his plea after watching footage of himself on the security camera.

Under cover of darkness

Fiscal depute Katie Scarborough, prosecuting, said the community centre in Balbeggie, between Perth and Coupar Angus, is well used by local groups.

“It is used by primary school children as a gym and it hosts social events for vulnerable adults.”

The hall is regularly used by local Brownies and Rainbows groups, the fiscal depute said.

“It remains at the centre of the community.”

Samuel Melloy appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.

Ms Scarborough said: “On March 22, overnight and under the cover of darkness, the accused attended at the hall and sprayed a racist remark on an exterior wall.”

He wrote: “Keep n*****rs out of Balbeggie.”

The court heard his midnight excursion was captured on a security camera.

Malicious mischief

Ms Scarborough said Melloy was identified from the CCTV footage by other members of the community.

She said locals calculated the costs of repainting the building, which is on the busy A94 Coupar Angus-Perth road.

Samuel Melloy painted a racist slogan across Balbeggie Village Hall.

“Thankfully they were able to simply wash off the words rather than have the whole wall repainted,” she said.

At an earlier court hearing, Melloy denied being the person in the footage but he pled guilty on the morning of his trial after seeing the clip for himself.

Melloy, who lives near the building on Abernyte Street, admitted a charge of malicious mischief.

Court papers state the charge is aggravated by prejudice to race, colour, nationality or ethnic or minority groups, under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.

Sheriff Paul Brown told Melloy’s lawyer: “I’m thinking that reports will be required, given the nature of the comments.”

He will be sentenced next month.

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