AN enforced lay-over in Shetland ended up costing a North-East offshore worker almost £1,000 and two nights in the cells after he carried out a racially aggravated assault on a bar doorman.

Tysen Carthy was stuck in Lerwick overnight after his flight to an oil rig was cancelled so he decided instead to have a night on the town, Lerwick Sherrif Court was told.

The 29-year-old had been drinking heavily when he was refused entry into Da Wheel bar by the doorman at around 1.30am on Sunday morning, said procurator fiscal, Duncan Mackenzie

After been told he was too drunk to get in, Carthy responded by threatening and intimidating the black doorman before repeatedly punching him in the head and shouting racial obscenities.

Mr Mackenzie said: "It doesn’t need me to tell the court how offensive that is."

The doorman suffered a suspected broken nose during the incident.

Carthy, of Primrose Lane, Houghton-le-Spring, admitted racially aggravated assault and behaving in a threatening manner.

Tommy Allan, mitigating, said his client was so drunk he had no memory of what happened but had been “astounded by the summary of evidence”.

He said that Carthy does not consider himself racist and was “disgusted” at his behaviour, which was out of keeping with "the way he was brought up” and that he apologised to his victim.

Honorary sheriff Erik Peterson told him: “This is a pretty disgraceful incident and not the sort of behaviour you’d expect to be tolerated here.”

Carthy, who had been in custody for over two days, was fined a total of £740 and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to his victim.