Scottish Catholic Observer

Bradley Wallace, 24, spat on Canon Tom White, parish priest of St Alphonsus’, Glasgow, on July 7 last year as the priest said goodbye to parishioners who were leaving the church following Mass.

Police took Canon White’s vestment after the incident, and forensics later proved a DNA match between Mr Wallace’s saliva and the spit on the garment.

Police later found photographs of Mr Wallace, from Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, holding an England flag with a Union Jack flag in the corner with the words ‘Bridgeton Loyal’ emblazoned on the front, alongside other images pertaining to the ‘Bridgeton Loyal Band.’

Sheriff Andrew Cubie told the thug: “I want you to be under no illusion at all, spitting is disgusting and cowardly and this was done in the context of a sectarian atmosphere which is an embarrassment to the West of Scotland.

“You should be under no illusion all options are open to the court.”

The attack took place during the annual ‘Boyne Parade.’ The court heard that as parishioners left Mass, ‘members of the public associating themselves with the parade began to sing sectarian songs and shout words at Fr White and the parishioners.’

Police were drawn away from the church to attend to another disturbance, leaving the parishioners at the mercy of thugs who ‘began to spit towards’ the congregation.

Mr Wallace had his bail continued by the sheriff and will be sentenced later this month.