Man who planted nail bomb spent year away

A man who planted a nail bomb outside his neighbour’s Hamilton home in a brothel row boasted of his party lifestyle after going on the run to Tenerife for a year.

David Pirie, 27, from Glasgow was due to appear in court charged with leaving the explosive device packed with petrol, nails and pieces of concrete in a glass bottle outside the home of Alexander Mccluckie following a feud.

But before he appeared to face justice, he travelled to the Canary Islands for a holiday and then stayed on for a full year despite a warrant being issued for his arrest in Scotland.

Pirie shared dozens of photos on social media showing him partying with groups of friends. In one photo, he is seen posing with boxers Carl Frampton and Steven Ward as they enjoyed a break away from the ring.

Others showed him holding a bottle of Buckfast and playing mini-golf.

Pirie returned to Scotland after spending a year abroad, but was arrested at the airport and remanded in custody.

Pirie has now appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted leaving the makeshift bomb at the flat in August 2015 and failing to appear in court in June 2017.

The court heard Mr Mccluckie had stayed next door to Pirie’s girlfriend Louise Stewart in Hamilton. Relations between the group soured when Miss Stewart made a malicious call to the SSPCA about Mr Mccluckie’s dog.