Second jail term for brute who spat on barmaid

Repeat offender told worker he would ‘kill her’

A drugged-up brute who spat on a bar worker and told her he would “kill her” after being refused booze is back behind bars.

Repeat offender John Lochrie had been jailed for 16 months in September last year but was released back into the community after serving half of that sentence.

However, it didn’t take long before the brute was back in the dock. At Paisley Sheriff Court it was revealed how he sparked a row in the Craigielea Bar in the town’s Well Street before spitting on a staff member and threatening her on May 27.

The court was told that Isabel Donnelly, who was in the bar on her day off, advised colleagues working behind the bar not to serve the drunk yob any more alcohol.

Lochrie took exception to the intervention, and became abusive and told her chillingly that he would kill her.

He was ushered from the premises but attempted to re-enter and spat on her when she tried to block him from doing so, calling her a “f*****g b***h.”

Police were alerted and he was traced a short distance away and arrested.

In court, Lochrie, 38, of Paisley Road, Renfrew, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm to others by shouting, swearing and uttering threats and assaulting the member of staff.

Defence agent Charlie McCusker said that his client had long-standing underlying drug abuse issues and accepted he would be heading back behind bars.

“He fully intends to take time out to straighten himself out this time,” stressed the lawyer.

After studying the accused’s record and background reports prepared, Sheriff Colin Pettigrew ordered Lochrie’s return to prison to serve out the unexpired portion of his last sentence, and added a 10-month stretch to run consecutively, for his latest offences.