Man facing child sex charge made threats

A man due to stand trial for alleged sexual offences against a child was overheard saying he would “batter f***” out of the witnesses.

Allan West, 54, of Ferguson Street, Ayr, revealed the threats to someone he spoke to on the telephone while outside the courthouse.

Long distance lorry driver West appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Wednesday, August 7, and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm and that he did repeatedly utter threats of violence.

The offence took place on November 29 last year at Ayr Sheriff Court.

Fiscal depute Andrew Lazzarin told the court how the accused was standing on the steps outside the court building, before a trial for child sex offences.

West, the court was told, had been the victim of a “punishment beating” outside his front door, had suffered a breakdown and was now on prescribed medication.

The trial ran for three days and he was convicted and made subject of a community payback order.

West’s solicitor said: “He’s complying with that fully and able to return to work.

“The background is he was standing outside court talking on the phone and was overheard making ill advised and offensive remarks about potential witnesses.”

Fiscal depute Andrew Lazzarin said: “It was 11am and he was drinking from a can of Jack Daniels saying, ‘ They’re going to get it’ and ‘ They’re just a bunch of kids, they don’t know who they are messing with.’ And that he was ‘ going to do them’.”

Mr Lazzarin added: “He was heard to say ‘ I will batter f*** out of them’. He was too drunk to go on trial.”

Sentence on West was deferred until November 4 for reports.