A disgraced banker who racially abused an Asian woman on a late-night train is planning to teach English in Italy because his career is in ruins as a result of the offence.

Neil Docherty, 43, shocked fellow passengers on the Glasgow to Edinburgh train by slapping a 33-year-old ethnic minority woman on the back of the head and shouting at her: "Go back to your own f****** country".

He made more racist comments including: "Muslim men are raping women' and 'It'll be a different story when they take over the world and you're all wearing burkhas!'

One traveller was so appalled by Docherty's behaviour she filmed him on her mobile phone before he got off the train in Linlithgow, West Lothian.

British Transport Police used her images and CCTV stills in a nationwide media campaign to identify the culprit.

Docherty, from Linlithgow, West Lothian, earlier pled guilty to assaulting Fella Hammach and acting in a racially and religiously aggravated manner during the train journey on August 28.

When he appeared for sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday a sheriff told him he was guilty of "shameful behaviour ".

Gillian Taylor, defending, said Docherty had worked as a stockbroker for 18 years but was now claiming benefits and living off savings because his contract had been terminated.

She said: "He's extremely distressed that he's caused such upset to the victim and to his family given the media attention that this has attracted. He's punishing himself for his behaviour.

"He feels he's not racist in the usual sense of the word. He accepts that his actions were racist but the experiences he's had in his life, travelling and writing, mean he's not inherently racist.

"His position is that the actions were entirely out of character for him and born out of stress, consumption of alcohol and consumption of drugs that were not prescribed to him."

She said Docherty had tried to "drown his sorrows" in a Glasgow pub and took anti-depressants given to him by a friend to "perk him up" after a job interview went badly. She said the drugs had made him euphoric at first but the experience turned "distressing and alarming".

She said the conviction had since had a "detrimental impact" on Docherty's ability to secure work in his chosen field in banking and finance.

"He's told me he's applied for work teaching English in Italy and he has an interview in the next few weeks for that."

Passing sentence, Sheriff Peter Hammond told Docherty: "This was a disgraceful way to behave. You boarded a train late in the evening while drunk and under the influence of drugs.

"You proceeded to assault a female passenger on the train.

"You went on to cause distress to her and other passengers by shouting and swearing and making offensive remarks to the lady concerned of racist and religiously prejudiced nature. This was shameful behaviour which would shock any right-thinking person."

Docherty's behaviour caused such outrage that police mounted a media campaign to identify him. He added: "Although you were aware of that, you failed to come forward and own up and were ultimately traced by the police."

He went on: "These are serious offences and, if you'd not come to court as a first offender, I would have imposed a custodial sentence."

He imposed a community payback order and also ordered Docherty to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, and tagged him under an electronic curfew for four months.